Manipulation of cellulose and/or β-1,4-Glucan

ABSTRACT

The invention relates generally to isolated genes which encode polypeptides involved in cellulose biosynthesis in plants and transgenic plants expressing same in sense or antisense orientation, or as ribozymes, co-suppression or gene-targeting molecules. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a nucleic acid molecule isolated from  Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa,  wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp.,  Gossypium hirsutum  ssp. and Eucalyptus ssp. which encode an enzyme which is important in cellulose biosynthesis, in particular the cellulose synthase enzyme and homologues, analogues and derivatives thereof and uses of same in the production of transgenic plants expressing altered cellulose biosynthetic properties.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Patent application PCT/AU97/00402, filed Jun. 24, 1997, which application is incorporated herein and which application claims priority to Australian Patent Application PO 0699, filed Jun. 27, 1996.

The present invention relates generally to isolated genes which encode polypeptides involved in cellulose biosynthesis and transgenic organisms expressing same in sense or antisense orientation, or as ribozymes, co-suppression or gene-targeting molecules. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a nucleic acid molecule isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum and Eucalyptus ssp. which encode an enzyme which is important in cellulose biosynthesis, in particular the cellulose synthase enzyme and homologues, analogues and derivatives thereof and uses of same in the production of transgenic plants expressing altered cellulose biosynthetic properties.

Bibliographic details of the publications referred to by author in this specification are collected at the end of the description. Sequence identity numbers (SEQ ID Nos.) for the nucleotide and amino acid sequences referred to in the specification are defined after the bibliography.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element or integer or group of elements or integers but not the exclusion of any other element or integer or group of elements or integers.

Cellulose, the world's most abundant biopolymer, is the most characteristic component of plant cell walls in so far as it forms much of the structural framework of the cell wall. Cellulose is comprised of crystalline β-1,4-glucan microfibrils. The crystalline microfibrils are extremely strong and resist enzymic and mechanical degradation, an important factor in determining the nutritional quantity, digestibility and palatability of animal and human foodstuffs. As cellulose is also the dominant structural component of industrially-important plant fibres, such as cotton, flax, hemp, jute and the timber crops such as Eucalyptus ssp. and Pinus ssp., amongst others, there is considerable economic benefit to be derived from the manipulation of cellulose content and/or quantity in plants. In particular. the production of food and fibre crops with altered cellulose content are highly desirable objectives.

The synthesis of cellulose involves the β-1,4-linkage of glucose monomers, in the form of a nucleoside diphospoglucose such as UDP-glucose, to a pre-existing cellulose chain, catalysed by the enzyme cellulose synthase.

Several attempts to identify the components of the functional cellulose synthase in plants have failed, because levels of β-1,4-glucan or crystalline cellulose produced in such assays have hitherto been too low to permit enzyme purification for protein sequence determination. Insufficient homology between bacterial β-1,4-glucan synthase genes and plant cellulose synthase genes has also prevented the use of hybridisation as an approach to isolating the plant homologues of bacterial β-1,4-glucan (cellulose) synthases.

Furthermore, it has not been possible to demonstrate that the cellulose synthase enzyme from plants is the same as, or functionally related to, other purified and characterised enzymes involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis. As a consequence, the cellulose synthase enzyme has not been isolated from plants and, until the present invention, no nucleic acid molecule has been characterised which functionally-encodes a plant cellulose synthase enzyme.

In work leading up to the present invention, the inventors have generated several novel mutant Arabidopsis thaliana plants which are defective in cellulose biosynthesis. The inventors have further isolated a cellulose synthase gene designated RSW1, which is involved in cellulose biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana, and homologous sequences in Oryza sativa, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum and Eucalyptus ssp. The isolated nucleic acid molecules of the present invention provide the means by which cellulose content and structure may be modified in plants to produce a range of useful fibres suitable for specific industrial purposes, for example increased decay resistance of timber and altered digestibility of foodstuffs, amongst others.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a sequence of nucleotides which encodes, or is complementary to a sequence which encodes a polypeptide of the cellulose biosynthetic pathway or a functional homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

The nucleic acid molecule of the invention may be derived from a prokaryotic source or a eukaryotic source.

Those skilled in the art will be aware that cellulose production requires not only the presence of a catalytic subunit, but also its activation and organisation into arrays which favour the crystallization of glucan chains. This organisation is radically different between bacteria, which possess linear arrays, and higher plants, which possess hexameric clusters or “rosettes”, of glucan chains. The correct organisation and activation of the bacterial enzyme may require many factors which are either not known, or alternatively, not known to be present in plant cells, for example specific membrane lipids to impart an active conformation on the enzyme complex or protein, or the bacterial c-di-GMP activation system. Accordingly, the use of a plant-derived sequence in eukaryotic cells such as plants provides significant advantages compared to the use of bacterially-derived sequences.

Accordingly, the present invention does not extend to known genes encoding the catalytic subunit of Agrobacterium tumefaciens or Acetobacter xylinum or Acetobacter pasteurianus cellulose synthase, or the use of such known bacterial genes and polypeptides to manipulate cellulose.

Preferably, the subject nucleic acid molecule is derived from an eukaryotic organism.

In a more preferred embodiment of the invention, the isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention encodes a plant cellulose synthase or a catalytic subunit thereof, or a homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

More preferably, the isolated nucleic acid molecule encodes a plant cellulose synthase polypeptide which is associated with the primary cell wall of a plant cell. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule of the invention encodes a plant cellulose synthase or catalytic subunit thereof which is normally associated with the secondary cell wall of a plant cell.

In a more preferred embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule of the invention is a cDNA molecule, genomic clone, mRNA molecule or a synthetic oligonucleotide molecule.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the present invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule which encodes or is complementary to a nucleic acid molecule which encodes the Arabidopsis thaliana, Gossypium hirsutum (cotton), Oryza sativa (rice), Eucalyptus ssp., Brassica ssp. wheat, barley or maize cellulose synthase enzyme or a catalytic subunit thereof or a polypeptide component, homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

As exemplified herein, the present inventors have identified cellulose biosynthesis genes in maize, wheat, barley, rice, cotton, Brassica ssp. and Eucalyptus ssp., in addition to the specific Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 gene sequence which has been shown to be particularly useful for altering cellulose and/or β-1,4-glucan and/or starch levels in cells.

Hereinafter the term “polypeptide of the cellulose biosynthetic pathway” or similar term shall be taken to refer to a polypeptide or a protein or a part, homologue, analogue or derivative thereof which is involved in one or more of the biosynthetic steps leading to the production of cellulose or any related β-1,4-glucan polymer in plants. In the present context, a polypeptide of the cellulose biosynthetic pathway shall also be taken to include both an active enzyme which contributes to the biosynthesis of cellulose or any related β-1,4-glucan polymer in plants and to a polypeptide component of such an enzyme. As used herein, a polypeptide of the cellulose biosynthetic pathway thus includes cellulose synthase. Those skilled in the art will be aware of other cellulose biosynthetic pathway polypeptides in plants.

The term “related β-1,4-glucan polymer” shall be taken to include any carbohydrate molecule comprised of a primary structure of β-1,4-linked glucose monomers similar to the structure of the components of the cellulose microfibril. wherein the relative arrangement or relative configuration of the glucan chains may differ from their relative configuration in microfibrils of cellulose. As used herein, a related β-1,4-glucan polymer includes those β-1,4-glucan polymers wherein individual β-1,4-glucan microfibrils are arranged in an anti-parallel or some other relative configuration not found in a cellulose molecule of plants and those non-crystalline β-1,4-glucans described as lacking the resistance to extraction and degradation that characterise cellulose microfibrils.

The term “cellulose synthase” shall be taken to refer to a polypeptide which is required to catalyse a β-1,4-glucan linkage to a cellulose microfibril.

Reference herein to “gene” is to be taken in its broadest context and includes:

(i) a classical genomic gene consisting of transcriptional and/or translational regulatory sequences and/or a coding region and/or non-translated sequences (i.e. introns, 5′- and 3′-untranslated sequences); or

(ii) mRNA or cDNA corresponding to the coding regions (i.e. exons) and 5′- and 3′-untranslated sequences of the gene.

The term “gene” is also used to describe synthetic or fusion molecules encoding all or part of a functional product.

In the present context, the term “cellulose gene” or “cellulose genetic sequence” or similar term shall be taken to refer to any gene as hereinbefore defined which encodes a polypeptide of the cellulose biosynthetic pathway and includes a cellulose synthase gene.

The term “cellulose synthase gene” shall be taken to refer to any cellulose gene which specifically encodes a polypeptide which is a component of a functional enzyme having cellulose synthase activity i.e. an enzyme which catalyses a β-1,4-glucan linkage to a cellulose microfibril.

Preferred cellulose genes may be derived from a naturally-occurring cellulose gene by standard recombinant techniques. Generally, a cellulose gene may be subjected to mutagenesis to produce single or multiple nucleotide substitutions, deletions and/or additions. Nucleotide insertional derivatives of the cellulose synthase gene of the present invention include 5′ and 3′ terminal fusions as well as intra-sequence insertions of single or multiple nucleotides. Insertional nucleotide sequence variants are those in which one or more nucleotides are introduced into a predetermined site in the nucleotide sequence although random insertion is also possible with suitable screening of the resulting product. Deletional variants are characterised by the removal of one or more nucleotides from the sequence. Substitutional nucleotide variants are those in which at least one nucleotide in the sequence has been removed and a different nucleotide inserted in its place. Such a substitution may be “silent” in that the substitution does not change the amino acid defined by the codon. Alternatively, substituents are designed to alter one amino acid for another similar acting amino acid, or amino acid of like charge, polarity, or hydrophobicity.

As used herein, the term “derived from” shall be taken to indicate that a particular integer or group of integers has originated from the species specified, but has not necessarily been obtained directly from the specified source.

For the present purpose, “homologues” of a nucleotide sequence shall be taken to refer to an isolated nucleic acid molecule which is substantially the same as the nucleic acid molecule of the present invention or its complementary nucleotide sequence, notwithstanding the occurrence within said sequence, of one or more nucleotide substitutions, insertions, deletions, or rearrangements.

“Analogues” of a nucleotide sequence set forth herein shall be taken to refer to an isolated nucleic acid molecule which is substantially the same as a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention or its complementary nucleotide sequence, notwithstanding the occurrence of any non-nucleotide constituents not normally present in said isolated nucleic acid molecule, for example carbohydrates, radiochemicals including radionucleotides, reporter molecules such as, but not limited to DIG, alkaline phosphatase or horseradish peroxidase, amongst others.

“Derivatives” of a nucleotide sequence set forth herein shall be taken to refer to any isolated nucleic acid molecule which contains significant sequence similarity to said sequence or a part thereof. Generally, the nucleotide sequence of the present invention may be subjected to mutagenesis to produce single or multiple nucleotide substitutions, deletions and/or insertions. Nucleotide insertional derivatives of the nucleotide sequence of the present invention include 5′ and 3′ terminal fusions as well as intra-sequence insertions of single or multiple nucleotides or nucleotide analogues. Insertional nucleotide sequence variants are those in which one or more nucleotides or nucleotide analogues are introduced into a predetermined site in the nucleotide sequence of said sequence, although random insertion is also possible with suitable screening of the resulting product being performed. Deletional variants are characterised by the removal of one or more nucleotides from the nucleotide sequence. Substitutional nucleotide variants are those in which at least one nucleotide in the sequence has been removed and a different nucleotide or nucleotide analogue inserted in its place.

The present invention extends to the isolated nucleic acid molecule when integrated into the genome of a cell as an addition to the endogenous cellular complement of cellulose synthase genes. The said integrated nucleic acid molecule may, or may not, contain promoter sequences to regulate expression of the subject genetic sequence.

The isolated nucleic acid molecule of the present invention may be introduced into and expressed in any cell, for example a plant cell, fungal cell, insect cell. animal cell, yeast cell or bacterial cell. Those skilled in the art will be aware of any moficiations which are required to the codon usage or promoter sequences or other regulatory sequences, in order for expression to occur in such cells.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a nucleic acid molecule which comprises a sequence of nucleotides corresponding or complementary to any one or more of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, or 13, or having at least about 40%, more preferably at least about 55%, still more preferably at least about 65%, yet still more preferably at least about 75-80% and even still more preferably at least about 85-95% nucleotide similarity to all, or a part thereof.

According to this aspect of the invention, said nucleic acid molecule encodes, or is complementary to a nucleotide sequence encoding, a polypeptide of the cellulose biosynthetic pathway in a plant or a homologue. analogue or derivative thereof.

Preferably, a nucleic acid molecule which is at least 40% related to any one or more of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, or 13 comprises a nucleotide sequence which encodes or is complementary to a sequence which encodes a plant cellulose synthase, more preferably a cellulose synthase which is associated with the primary or the secondary plant cell wall of the species from which it has been derived.

Furthermore, the nucleic acid molecule according to this aspect of the invention may be derived from a monocotyledonous or dicotyledonous plant species. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule is derived from Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum (cotton) or Eucalyptus ssp., amongst others.

For the purposes of nomenclature, the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1 relates to a cellulose gene as hereinbefore defined which comprises a cDNA sequence designated T20782 and which is derived from Arabidopsis thaliana. The amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 relates to the polypeptide encoded by T20782.

The nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3 relates to the nucleotide sequence of the complete Arabidopsis thaliana genomic gene RSW1, including both intron and exon sequences. The nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3 comprises exons 1-14 of the genomic gene and includes 2295 bp of 5′-untranslated sequences, of which approximately the first 1.9 kb comprises RSW1 promoter sequence (there is a putative TATA box motif at positions 1843-1850 of SEQ ID NO:3). The nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3 is derived from the cosmid clone 23H12. This sequence is also the genomic gene equivalent of SEQ ID Nos:1 and 5.

The nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 relates to the partial nucleotide sequence of a genomic gene variant of RSW1, derived from cosmid clone 12C4. The nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:4 comprises exon sequence 1-11 and part of exon 12 of the genomic gene sequence and includes 862 bp of 5′-untranslated sequences, of which approximately 700 nucleotides comprise RSW1 promoter sequences (there is a putative TATA box motif at positions 668-673 of SEQ ID NO:4). The genomic gene sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 is the equivalent of the cDNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:7 (i.e. cDNA clone Ath-A).

The nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:5 relates to a cellulose gene as hereinbefore defined which comprises a cDNA equivalent of the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 gene set forth in SEQ ID NO:3. The amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:6 relates to the polypeptide encoded by the wild-type RSW1 gene sequences set forth in SEQ ID Nos:3 and 5.

The nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:7 relates to a cellulose gene as hereinbefore defined which comprises a cDNA equivalent of the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 gene set forth in SEQ ID NO:4. The nucleotide sequence is a variant of the nucleotide sequences set forth in SEQ ID Nos:3 and 5. The amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:8 relates to the polypeptide encoded by the wild-type RSW1 gene sequences set forth in SEQ ID Nos:4 and 6.

The nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:9 relates to a cellulose gene as hereinbefore defined which comprises a further wild-type variant of the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 gene set forth in SEQ ID Nos:3 and 5. The nucleotide sequence variant is designated Ath-B. The amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:10 relates to the polypeptide encoded by the wild-type RSW1 gene sequence set forth in SEQ ID No:9.

The nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:11 relates to a cellulose gene as hereinbefore defined which comprises a cDNA equivalent of the Arabidopsis thaliana rsw1 gene. The rsw1 gene is a mutant cellulose gene which produces a radial root swelling phenotype as described by Baskin et al (1992). The present inventors have shown herein that the rsw1 gene also produces reduced inflorescence length, reduced fertility, misshapen epidermal cells, reduced cellulose content and the accumulation of non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan, amongst others, when expressed in plant cells. The rsw1 nucleotide sequence is a further variant of the nucleotide sequences set forth in SEQ ID Nos:3 and 5. The amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:12 relates to the rsw1 polypeptide encoded by the mutant rsw1 gene sequence set forth in SEQ ID No:11.

The nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:13 relates to a cellulose gene as hereinbefore defined which comprises a cDNA equivalent of the Oryza sativa RSW1 or RSW1-like gene. The nucleotide sequence is closely-related to the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 and rsw1 nucleotide sequences set forth herein (SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11). The amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:14 relates to the polypeptide encoded by the RSW1 or RSW1-like gene sequences set forth in SEQ ID No: 13.

Those skilled in the art will be aware of procedures for the isolation of further cellulose genes to those specifically described herein, for example further cDNA sequences and genomic gene equivalents, when provided with one or more of the nucleotide sequences set forth in SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, or 13. In particular, hybridisations may be performed using one or more nucleic acid hybridisation probes comprising at least 10 contiguous nucleotides and preferably at least 50 contiguous nucleotides derived from the nucleotide sequences set forth herein, to isolate cDNA clones, mRNA molecules, genomic clones from a genomic library (in particular genomic clones containing the entire 5′ upstream region of the gene including the promoter sequence, and the entire coding region and 3′-untranslated sequences), and/or synthetic oligonucleotide molecules, amongst others. The present invention clearly extends to such related sequences.

The invention further extends to any homologues, analogues or derivatives of any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13.

A further aspect of the present invention contemplates a nucleic acid molecule which encodes or is complementary to a nucleic acid molecule which encodes, a polypeptide which is required for cellulose biosynthesis in a plant, such as cellulose synthase, and which is capable of hybridising under at least low stringency conditions to the nucleic acid molecule set forth in any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 1 1 or 13, or to a complementary strand thereof.

As an exemplification of this embodiment, the present inventors have shown that it is possible to isolate variants of the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 gene sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3, by hybridization under low stringency conditions. Such variants include related sequences derived from Gossypium hirsutum (cotton), Eucalyptus ssp. and A. thaliana. Additional variant are clearly encompassed by the present invention.

Preferably, the nucleic acid molecule further comprises a nucleotide sequence which encodes, or is complementary to a nucleotide sequence which encodes, a cellulose synthase polypeptide, more preferably a cellulose synthase which is associated with the primary or secondary plant cell wall of the plant species from which said nucleic acid molecule was derived.

More preferably, the nucleic acid molecule according to this aspect of the invention encodes or is complementary to a nucleic acid molecule which encodes, a polypeptide which is required for cellulose biosynthesis in a plant, such as cellulose synthase, and which is capable of hybridising under at least medium stringency conditions to the nucleic acid molecule set forth in any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or to a complementary strand thereof.

Even more preferably, the nucleic acid molecule according to this aspect of the invention encodes or is complementary to a nucleic acid molecule which encodes, a polypeptide which is required for cellulose biosynthesis in a plant, such as cellulose synthase, and which is capable of hybridising under at least high stringency conditions to the nucleic acid molecule set forth in any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or to a complementary strand thereof.

For the purposes of defining the level of stringency, a low stringency is defined herein as being a hybridisation and/or a wash carried out in 6×SSC buffer, 0.1% (w/v) SDS at 28° C. Generally, the stringency is increased by reducing the concentration of SSC buffer, and/or increasing the concentration of SDS and/or increasing the temperature of the hybridisation and/or wash. A medium stringency comprises a hybridisation and/or a wash carried out in 0.2×SSC-2×SSC buffer, 0.1% (w/v) SDS at 42° C. to 65° C., while a high stringency comprises a hybridisation and/or a wash carried out in 0.1×SSC-0.2×SSC buffer, 0.1% (w/v) SDS at a temperature of at least 55° C. Conditions for hybridisations and washes are well understood by one normally skilled in the art. For the purposes of further clarification only, reference to the parameters affecting hybridisation between nucleic acid molecules is found in pages 2.10.8 to 2.10.16. of Ausubel et al. (1987), which is herein incorporated by reference.

In an even more preferred embodiment of the invention, the isolated nucleic acid molecule further comprises a sequence of nucleotides which is at least 40% identical to at least 10 contiguous nucleotides derived from any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a complementary strand thereof.

Still more preferably, the isolated nucleic acid molecule further comprises a sequence of nucleotides which is at least 40% identical to at least 50 contiguous nucleotides derived from the sequence set forth in any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a complementary strand thereof.

The present invention is particularly directed to a nucleic acid molecule which is capable of functioning as a cellulose gene as hereinbefore defined, for example a cellulose synthase gene such as, but not limited to, the Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum or Eucalyptus ssp. cellulose synthase genes, amongst others. The subject invention clearly contemplates additional cellulose genes to those specifically described herein which are derived from these plant species.

The invention further contemplates other sources of cellulose genes such as but not limited to, tissues and cultured cells of plant origin. Preferred plant species according to this embodiment include hemp, jute, flax and woody plants including, but not limited to Pinus ssp., Populus ssp., Picea spp., amongst others.

A genetic sequence which encodes or is complementary to a sequence which encodes a polypeptide which is involved in cellulose biosynthesis may correspond to the naturally occurring sequence or may differ by one or more nucleotide substitutions, deletions and/or additions. Accordingly, the present invention extends to cellulose genes and any functional genes, mutants, derivatives, parts, fragments, homologues or analogues thereof or non-functional molecules but which are at least useful as, for example, genetic probes, or primer sequences in the enzymatic or chemical synthesis of said gene, or in the generation of immunologically interactive recombinant molecules.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the cellulose genetic sequences are employed to identify and isolate similar genes from plant cells, tissues, or organ types of the same species, or from the cells, tissues, or organs of another plant species.

According to this embodiment, there is contemplated a method for identifying a related cellulose gene or related cellulose genetic sequence, for example a cellulose synthase or cellulose synthase-like gene, said method comprising contacting genomic DNA, or mRNA, or cDNA with a hybridisation effective amount of a first cellulose genetic sequence comprising any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a complementary sequence. homologue, analogue or derivative thereof derived from at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of said first sequence, and then detecting said hybridisation.

Preferably, the first genetic sequence comprises at least 50 contiguous nucleotides, even more preferably at least 100 contiguous nucleotides and even more preferably at least 500 contiguous nucleotides, derived from any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a complementary strand, homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

The related cellulose gene or related cellulose genetic sequence may be in a recombinant form, in a virus particle, bacteriophage particle, yeast cell, animal cell, or a plant cell. Preferably, the related cellulose gene or related cellulose genetic sequence is derived from a plant species, such as a monocotyledonous plant or a dicotyledonous plant selected from the list comprising Arabidopsis thaliana, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum (cotton), Oryza sativa (rice), Eucalyptus ssp., hemp, jute, flax, and woody plants including, but not limited to Pinus ssp., Populus ssp., Picea spp., amongst others.

More preferably, related cellulose gene or related cellulose genetic sequence is derived from a plant which is useful in the fibre or timber industries, for example Gossypium hirsutum (cotton), hemp, jute, flax, Eucalyptus ssp. or Pinus ssp., amongst others. Alternatively, the related cellulose gene or related cellulose genetic sequence is derived from a plant which is useful in the cereal or starch industry, for example wheat, barley, rice or maize, amongst others.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first cellulose genetic sequence is labelled with a reporter molecule capable of giving an identifiable signal (e.g. a radioisotope such as ³²P or ³⁵S or a biotinylated molecule).

An alternative method contemplated in the present invention involves hybridising two nucleic acid “primer molecules” to a nucleic acid “template molecule” which comprises a related cellulose gene or related cellulose genetic sequence or a functional part thereof, wherein the first of said primers comprises contiguous nucleotides derived from any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5. 7, 9, 11 or 13 or a homologue, analogue or derivative thereof and the second of said primers comprises contiguous nucleotides complementary to any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13. Specific nucleic acid molecule copies of the template molecule are amplified enzymatically in a polymerase chain reaction, a technique that is well known to one skilled in the art.

In a preferred embodiment, each nucleic acid primer molecule is at least 10 nucleotides in length, more preferably at least 20 nucleotides. in length, even more preferably at least 30 nucleotides in length, still more preferably at least 40 nucleotides in length and even still more preferably at least 50 nucleotides in length.

Furthermore, the nucleic acid primer molecules consists of a combination of any of the nucleotides adenine, cytidine, guanine, thymidine, or inosine, or functional analogues or derivatives thereof which are at least capable of being incorporated into a polynucleotide molecule without having an inhibitory effect on the hybridisation of said primer to the template molecule in the environment in which it is used.

Furthermore, one or both of the nucleic acid primer molecules may be contained in an aqueous mixture of other nucleic acid primer molecules, for example a mixture of degenerate primer sequences which vary from each other by one or more nucleotide substitutions or deletions. Alternatively, one or both of the nucleic acid primer molecules may be in a substantially pure form.

The nucleic acid template molecule may be in a recombinant form, in a virus particle, bacteriophage particle, yeast cell, animal cell, or a plant cell. Preferably, the nucleic acid template molecule is derived from a plant cell, tissue or organ, in particular a cell, tissue or organ derived from a plant selected from the list comprising Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum and Eucalyptus ssp., hemp, jute, flax, and woody plants including, but not limited to Pinus ssp., Populus ssp., Picea spp., amongst others.

Those skilled in the art will be aware that there are many known variations of the basic polymerase chain reaction procedure, which may be employed to isolate a related cellulose gene or related cellulose genetic sequence when provided with the nucleotide sequences set forth in any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13. Such variations are discussed, for example, in McPherson et al (1991). The present invention extends to the use of all such variations in the isolation of related cellulose genes or related cellulose genetic sequences using the nucleotide sequences embodied by the present invention.

The isolated nucleic acid molecule according to any of the further embodiments may be cloned into a plasmid or bacteriophage molecule, for example to facilitate the preparation of primer molecules or hybridisation probes or for the production of recombinant gene products. Methods for the production of such recombinant plasmids, cosmids, bacteriophage molecules or other recombinant molecules are well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art and can be accomplished without undue experimentation. Accordingly, the invention further extends to any recombinant plasmid, bacteriophage, cosmid or other recombinant molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence set forth in any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a complementary sequence, homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

The nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is also useful for developing genetic constructs which express a cellulose genetic sequence, thereby providing for the increased expression of genes involved in cellulose biosynthesis in plants, selected for example from the list comprising Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum and Eucalyptus ssp., hemp, jute, flax, and woody plants including, but not limited to Pinus ssp., Populus ssp., Picea spp., amongst others. The present invention particularly contemplates the modification of cellulose biosynthesis in cotton, hemp, jute, flax, Eucalyptus ssp. and Pinus ssp. amongst others.

The present inventors have discovered that the genetic sequences disclosed herein are capable of being used to modify the level of non-crystalline β-1,4,-glucan, in addition to altering cellulose levels when expressed, particularly when expressed in plants cells. In particular, the Arabidopsis thaliana rsw1 mutant has increased levels of non-crystalline β-1,4,-glucan, when grown at 31° C. compared to wild-type plants, grown under identical conditions. The expression of a genetic sequence described herein in the antisense orientation in transgenic plants grown at only 21° C. is shown to reproduce many aspects of the rsw1 mutant phenotype. Accordingly, the present invention clearly extends to the modification of non-crystalline β-1,4,-glucan biosynthesis in plants, selected for example from the list comprising Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum and Eucalyptus ssp., hemp, jute, flax, and woody plants including, but not limited to Pinus ssp., Populus ssp., Picea spp., amongst others. The present invention particularly contemplates the modification of non-crystalline β-1,4,-glucan biosynthesis in cotton, hemp, jute, flax, Eucalyptus ssp. and Pinus ssp., amongst others.

The present invention further extends to the production and use of non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan and to the use of the glucan to modify the properties of plant cell walls or cotton fibres or wood fibres. Such modified properties are described herein (Example 13).

The inventors have discovered that the rsw1 mutant has altered carbon partitioning compared to wild-type plants, resulting in significantly higher starch levels therein. The isolated nucleic acid molecules provided herein are further useful for altering the carbon partitioning in a cell. In particular, the present invention contemplates increased starch production in transgenic plants expressing the nucleic acid molecule of the invention in the antisense orientation or alternatively, expressing a ribozyme or co-suppression molecule comprising the nucleic acid sequence of the invention.

The invention further contemplates reduced starch and/or non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan product in transgenic plants expressing the nucleic acid molecule of the invention in the sense orientation such that cellulose production is increased therein.

Wherein it is desired to increase cellulose production in a plant cell, the coding region of a cellulose gene is placed operably behind a promoter, in the sense orientation, such that a cellulose gene product is capable of being expressed under the control of said promoter sequence. In a preferred embodiment, the cellulose genetic sequence is a cellulose synthase genomic sequence, cDNA molecule or protein-coding sequence.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the cellulose genetic sequence comprises a sequence of nucleotides substantially the same as the sequence set forth in any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13 or a homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

Wherein it is desirable to reduce the content of cellulose or to increase the content of non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan, the nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is expressed in the antisense orientation under the control of a suitable promoter. Additionally, the nucleic acid molecule of the invention is also useful for developing ribozyme molecules, or in co-suppression of a cellulose gene. The expression of an antisense, ribozyme or co-suppression molecule comprising a cellulose gene, in a cell such as a plant cell, fungal cell, insect cell, animal cell, yeast cell or bacterial cell, may also increase the solubility, digestibility or extractability of metabolites from plant tissues or alternatively, or increase the availability of carbon as a precursor for any secondary metabolite other than cellulose (e.g. starch or sucrose). By targeting the endogenous cellulose gene, expression is diminished, reduced or otherwise lowered to a level that results in reduced deposition of cellulose in the primary or secondary cell walls of the plant cell, fungal cell, insect cell, animal cell, yeast cell or bacterial cell, and more particularly, a plant cell. Additionally, or alternatively, the content of non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan is increased in such cells.

Co-suppression is the reduction in expression of an endogenous gene that occurs when one or more copies of said gene, or one or more copies of a substantially similar gene are introduced into the cell. The present invention also extends to the use of co-suppression to inhibit the expression of a gene which encodes a cellulose gene product, such as but not limited to cellulose synthase. Preferably, the co-suppression molecule of the present invention targets a plant mRNA molecule which encodes a cellulose synthase enzyme, for example a plant, fungus, or bacterial cellulose synthase mRNA, and more preferably a plant mRNA derived from Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza saliva, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum and Eucalyptus ssp., hemp, jute, flax, or a woody plant such as Pinus ssp., Populus ssp., or Picea spp., amongst others.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the gene which is targeted by a co-suppression molecule, comprises a sequence of nucleotides set forth in any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a complement, homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

In the context of the present invention, an antisense molecule is an RNA molecule which is transcribed from the complementary strand of a nuclear gene to that which is normally transcribed to produce a “sense” mRNA molecule capable of being translated into a polypeptide component of the cellulose biosynthetic pathway. The antisense molecule is therefore complementary to the mRNA transcribed from a sense cellulose gene or a part thereof. Although not limiting the mode of action of the antisense molecules of the present invention to any specific mechanism, the antisense RNA molecule possesses the capacity to form a double-stranded mRNA by base pairing with the sense mRNA, which may prevent translation of the sense mRNA and subsequent synthesis of a polypeptide gene product.

Preferably, the antisense molecule of the present invention targets a plant mRNA molecule which encodes a cellulose gene product, for example cellulose synthase. Preferably, the antisense molecule of the present invention targets a plant mRNA molecule which encodes a cellulose synthase enzyme, for example a plant mRNA derived from Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza saliva, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum and Eucalyptus ssp., hemp, jute, flax, or a woody plant such as Pinus ssp., Populus ssp., or Picea spp., amongst others.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the antisense molecule of the invention targets an mRNA molecule encoded by any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

Ribozymes are synthetic RNA molecules which comprise a hybridising region complementary to two regions, each of at least 5 contiguous nucleotide bases in the target sense mRNA. In addition, ribozymes possess highly specific endoribonuclease activity, which autocatalytically cleaves the target sense mRNA. A complete description of the function of ribozymes is presented by Haseloff and Gerlach (1988) and contained in International Patent Application No. WO89/05852.

The present invention extends to ribozyme which target a sense mRNA encoding a cellulose gene product, thereby hybridising to said sense mRNA and cleaving it, such that it is no longer capable of being translated to synthesise a functional polypeptide product. Preferably, the ribozyme molecule of the present invention targets a plant mRNA molecule which encodes a cellulose synthase enzyme, for example a plant mRNA derived from Arabidopsis thaliana, Gossypium hirsutum (cotton), Oryza sativa (rice), Eucalyptus ssp., hemp, jute, flax, or a woody plant such as Pinus ssp., Populus ssp., or Picea spp., amongst others.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the ribozyme molecule will target an mRNA encoded by any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

According to this embodiment, the present invention provides a ribozyme or antisense molecule comprising at least 5 contiguous nucleotide bases derived from any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a complementary nucleotide sequence or a homologue, analogue or derivative thereof, wherein said antisense or ribozyme molecule is able to form a hydrogen-bonded complex with a sense mRNA encoding a cellulose gene product to reduce translation thereof.

In a preferred embodiment, the antisense or ribozyme molecule comprises at least 10 to 20 contiguous nucleotides derived from any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a complementary nucleotide sequence or a homologue, analogue or derivative thereof. Although the preferred antisense and/or ribozyme molecules hybridise to at least about 10 to 20 nucleotides of the target molecule, the present invention extends to molecules capable of hybridising to at least about 50-100 nucleotide bases in length, or a molecule capable of hybridising to a full-length or substantially full-length mRNA encoded by a cellulose gene, such as a cellulose synthase gene.

Those skilled in the art will be aware of the necessary conditions, if any, for selecting or preparing the antisense or ribozyme molecules of the invention.

It is understood in the art that certain modifications, including nucleotide substitutions amongst others, may be made to the antisense and/or ribozyme molecules of the present invention, without destroying the efficacy of said molecules in inhibiting the expression of a gene encoding a cellulose gene product such as cellulose synthase. It is therefore within the scope of the present invention to include any nucleotide sequence variants, homologues, analogues, or fragments of the said gene encoding same, the only requirement being that said nucleotide sequence variant, when transcribed, produces an antisense and/or ribozyme molecule which is capable of hybridising to a sense mRNA molecule which encodes a cellulose gene product.

Gene targeting is the replacement of an endogenous gene sequence within a cell by a related DNA sequence to which it hybridises, thereby altering the form and/or function of the endogenous gene and the subsequent phenotype of the cell. According to this embodiment, at least a part of the DNA sequence defined by any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a related cellulose genetic sequence, may be introduced into target cells containing an endogenous cellulose gene, thereby replacing said endogenous cellulose gene.

According to this embodiment, the polypeptide product of said cellulose genetic sequence possesses different catalytic activity and/or expression characteristics, producing in turn modified cellulose deposition in the target cell. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the endogenous cellulose gene of a plant is replaced with a gene which is merely capable of producing non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan polymers or alternatively which is capable of producing a modified cellulose having properties similar to synthetic fibres such as rayon, in which the β-1,4-glucan polymers are arranged in an antiparallel configuration relative to one another.

The present invention extends to genetic constructs designed to facilitate expression of a cellulose genetic sequence which is identical, or complementary to the sequence set forth in any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13, or a functional derivative, part, homologue, or analogue thereof, or a genetic construct designed to facilitate expression of a sense molecule, an antisense molecule, ribozyme molecule, co-suppression molecule, or gene targeting molecule containing said genetic sequence.

The said genetic construct of the present invention comprises the foregoing sense, antisense, or ribozyme, or co-suppression nucleic acid molecule, or gene-targeting molecule, placed operably under the control of a promoter sequence capable of regulating the expression of the said nucleic acid molecule in a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell, preferably a plant cell. The said genetic construct optionally comprises, in addition to a promoter and sense, or antisense, or ribozyme, or co-suppression, or gene-targeting nucleic acid molecule, a terminator sequence.

The term “terminator” refers to a DNA sequence at the end of a transcriptional unit which signals termination of transcription. Terminators are 3′-non-translated DNA sequences containing a polyadenylation signal, which facilitates the addition of polyadenylate sequences to the 3′-end of a primary transcript. Terminators active in plant cells are known and described in the literature. They may be isolated from bacteria, fungi, viruses, animals and/or plants. Examples of terminators particularly suitable for use in the genetic constructs of the present invention include the nopaline synthase (NOS) gene terminator of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, the terminator of the Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S gene, and the zein gene terminator from Zea mays.

Reference herein to a “promoter” is to be taken in its broadest context and includes the transcriptional regulatory sequences of a classical genomic gene, including the TATA box which is required for accurate transcription initiation, with or without a CCAAT box sequence and additional regulatory elements (i.e. upstream activating sequences, enhancers and silencers) which alter gene expression in response to developmental and/or external stimuli, or in a tissue-specific manner. A promoter is usually, but not necessarily, positioned upstream or 5′, of a structural gene, the expression of which it regulates. Furthermore, the regulatory elements comprising a promoter are usually positioned within 2 kb of the start site of transcription of the gene.

In the present context, the term “promoter” is also used to describe a synthetic or fusion molecule, or derivative which confers, activates or enhances expression of said sense, antisense, or ribozyme, or co-suppression nucleic acid molecule, in a plant cell. Preferred promoters may contain additional copies of one or more specific regulatory elements, to further enhance expression of a sense antisense, ribozyme or co-suppression molecule and/or to alter the spatial expression and/or temporal expression of said sense or antisense, or ribozyme, or co-suppression, or gene-targeting molecule. For example, regulatory elements which confer copper inducibility may be placed adjacent to a heterologous promoter sequence driving expression of a sense, or antisense, or ribozyme, or co-suppression, or gene-targeting molecule, thereby conferring copper inducibility on the expression of said molecule.

Placing a sense or ribozyme, or antisense, or co-suppression, or gene-targeting molecule under the regulatory control of a promoter sequence means positioning the said molecule such that expression is controlled by the promoter sequence. Promoters are generally positioned 5′ (upstream) to the genes that they control. In the construction of heterologous promoter/structural gene combinations it is generally preferred to position the promoter at a distance from the gene transcription start site that is approximately the same as the distance between that promoter and the gene it controls in its natural setting, i.e., the gene from which the promoter is derived. As is known in the art, some variation in this distance can be accommodated without loss of promoter function. Similarly, the preferred positioning of a regulatory sequence element with respect to a heterologous gene to be placed under its control is defined by the positioning of the element in its natural setting, i.e., the genes from which it is derived. Again, as is known in the art, some variation in this distance can also occur.

Examples of promoters suitable for use in genetic constructs of the present invention include viral, fungal, bacterial, animal and plant derived promoters capable of functioning in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells. Preferred promoters are those capable of regulating the expression of the subject cellulose genes of the invention in plants cells, fungal cells, insect cells, yeast cells, animal cells or bacterial cells, amongst others. Particularly preferred promoters are capable of regulating expression of the subject nucleic acid molecules in plant cells. The promoter may regulate the expression of the said molecule constitutively, or differentially with respect to the tissue in which expression occurs or, with respect to the developmental stage at which expression occurs, or in response to external stimuli such as physiological stresses, or plant pathogens, or metal ions, amongst others. Preferably, the promoter is capable of regulating expression of a sense, or ribozyme, or antisense, or co-suppression molecule or gene targeting, in a plant cell. Examples of preferred promoters include the CaMV 35S promoter, NOS promoter, octopine synthase (OCS) promoter and the like.

In a most preferred embodiment, the promoter is capable of expression in any plant cell, such as, but not limited to a plant selected from the list comprising Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza saliva, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum and Eucalyptus ssp., hemp, jute, flax, and woody plants including, but not limited to Pinus ssp., Populus ssp., Picea spp., amongst others.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the promoter may be derived from a genomic clone encoding a cellulose gene product, in particular the promoter contained in the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:4. Preferably, the promoter sequence comprises nucleotide 1 to about 1900 of SEQ ID NO:3 or nucleotides 1 to about 700 of SEQ ID NO:4 or a homologue, analogue or derivative capable of hybridizing thereto under at least low stringency conditions.

Optionally, the genetic construct of the present invention further comprises a terminator sequence.

In an exemplification of this embodiment, there is provided a binary genetic construct comprising the isolated nucleotide sequence of nucleotides set forth in SEQ ID NO:3. There is also provided a genetic construct comprising the isolated nucleotide sequence of nucleotides set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, in the antisense orientation, placed operably in connection with the CaMV 35S promoter.

In the present context, the term “in operable connection with” means that expression of the isolated nucleotide sequence is under the control of the promoter sequence with which it is connected, regardless of the relative physical distance of the sequences from each other or their relative orientation with respect to each other.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is directed to a genetic construct comprising a promoter or functional derivative, part, fragment, homologue, or analogue thereof, which is capable of directing the expression of a polypeptide early in the development of a plant cell at a stage when the cell wall is developing, such as during cell expansion or during cell division. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the promoter is contained in the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:4. Preferably, the promoter sequence comprises nucleotide 1 to about 1900 of SEQ ID NO:3 or nucleotides 1 to about 700 of SEQ ID NO:4 or a homologue, analogue or derivative capable of hybridizing thereto under at least low stringency conditions.

The polypeptide may be a reporter molecule which is encoded by a gene such as the bacterial β-glucuronidase gene or chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene or alternatively, the firefly luciferase gene. Alternatively, the polypeptide may be encoded by a gene which is capable of producing a modified cellulose in the plant cell when placed in combination with the normal complement of cellulose genes which are expressible therein, for example it may be a cellulose-like gene obtained from a bacterial or fungal source or a cellulose gene obtained from a plant source.

The genetic constructs of the present invention are particularly useful in the production of crop plants with altered cellulose content or structure. In particular, the rate of cellulose deposition may be reduced leading to a reduction in the total cellulose content of plants by transferring one or more of the antisense, ribozyme or co-suppression molecules described supra into a plant or alternatively, the same or similar end-result may be achieved by replacing an endogenous cellulose gene with an inactive or modified cellulose gene using gene-targeting approaches. The benefits to be derived from reducing cellulose content in plants are especially apparent in food and fodder crops such as, but not limited to maize, wheat, barley, rye, rice, barley, millet or sorghum, amongst others where improved digestibility of said crop is desired. The foregoing antisense, ribozyme or co-suppression molecules are also useful in producing plants with altered carbon partitioning such that increased carbon is available for growth, rather than deposited in the form of cellulose.

Alternatively, the introduction to plants of additional copies of a cellulose gene in the ‘sense’ orientation and under the control of a strong promoter is useful for the production of plants with increased cellulose content or more rapid rates of cellulose biosynthesis. Accordingly, such plants may exhibit a range of desired traits including, but not limited to modified strength and/or shape and/or properties of fibres, cell and plants, increased protection against chemical, physical or environmental stresses such as dehydration, heavy metals (e.g. cadmium) cold, heat or wind, increased resistance to attack by pathogens such as insects, nematodes and the like which physically penetrate the cell wall barrier during invasion/infection of the plant.

Alternatively, the production of plants with altered physical properties is made possible by the introduction thereto of altered cellulose gene(s). Such plants may produce β-1,4-glucan which is either non-crystalline or shows altered crystallinity. Such plants may also exhibit a range of desired traits including but not limited to, altered dietary fibre content, altered digestibility and degradability or producing plants with altered extractability properties.

Furthermore, genetic constructs comprising a plant cellulose gene in the ‘sense’ orientation may be used to complement the existing range of cellulose genes present in a plant, thereby altering the composition or timing of deposition of cellulose deposited in the cell wall of said plant. In a preferred embodiment, the cellulose gene from one plant species or a β-1,4-glucan synthase gene from a non-plant species is used to transform a plant of a different species, thereby introducing novel cellulose biosynthetic metabolism to the second-mentioned plant species.

In a related embodiment, a recombinant fusion polypeptide may be produced containing the active site from one cellulose gene product fused to another cellulose gene product, wherein said fusion polypeptide exhibits novel catalytic properties compared to either ‘parent’ polypeptide from which it is derived. Such fusion polypeptides may be produced by conventional recombinant DNA techniques known to those skilled in the art, either by introducing a recombinant DNA capable of expressing the entire fusion polypeptide into said plant or alternatively, by a gene-targeting approach in which recombination at the DNA level occurs in vivo and the resultant gene is capable of expressing a recombinant fusion polypeptide.

The present invention extends to all transgenic methods and products described supra, including genetic constructs.

The recombinant DNA molecule carrying the sense, antisense, ribozyme or co-suppression molecule of the present invention and/or genetic construct comprising the same, may be introduced into plant tissue, thereby producing a “transgenic plant”, by various techniques known to those skilled in the art. The technique used for a given plant species or specific type of plant tissue depends on the known successful techniques. Means for introducing recombinant DNA into plant tissue include, but are not limited to, transformation (Paszkowski et al., 1984), electroporation (Fromm et al., 1985), or microinjection of the DNA (Crossway et al., 1986), or T-DNA-mediated transfer from Agrobacterium to the plant tissue. Representative T-DNA vector systems are described in the following references: An et al.(1985); Herrera-Estrella et al. (1983a,b); Herrera-Estrella et al. (1985). Once introduced into the plant tissue, the expression of the introduced gene may be assayed in a transient expression system, or it may be determined after selection for stable integration within the plant genome. Techniques are known for the in vitro culture of plant tissue, and in a number of cases, for regeneration into whole plants. Procedures for transferring the introduced gene from the originally transformed plant into commercially useful cultivars are known to those skilled in the art.

A still further aspect of the present invention extends to a transgenic plant such as a crop plant, carrying the foregoing sense, antisense, ribozyme, co-suppression, or gene-targeting molecule and/or genetic constructs comprising the same. Preferably, the transgenic plant is one or more of the following: Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, wheat, barley, maize, Brassica ssp., Gossypium hirsutum and Eucalyptus ssp., hemp, jute, flax, Pinus ssp., Populus ssp., or Picea spp. Additional species are not excluded.

The present invention further extends to the progeny of said transgenic plant.

Yet another aspect of the present invention provides for the expression of the subject genetic sequence in a suitable host (e.g. a prokaryote or eukaryote) to produce full length or non-full length recombinant cellulose gene products.

Hereinafter the term “cellulose gene product” shall be taken to refer to a recombinant product of a cellulose gene as hereinbefore defined. Accordingly, the term “cellulose gene product” includes a polypeptide product of any gene involved in the cellulose biosynthetic pathway in plants, such as, but not limited to a cellulose synthase gene product.

Preferably, the recombinant cellulose gene product comprises an amino acid sequence having the catalytic activity of a cellulose synthase polypeptide or a functional mutant, derivative part, fragment, or analogue thereof.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the recombinant cellulose gene product comprises a sequence or amino acids that is at least 40% identical to any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:2, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14, or a homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

Single and three-letter abbreviations used for amino acid residues contained in the specification are provided in Table 1.

In the present context, “homologues” of an amino acid sequence refer to those polypeptides, enzymes or proteins which have a similar catalytic activity to the amino acid sequences described herein, notwithstanding any amino acid substitutions, additions or deletions thereto. A homologue may be isolated or derived from the same or another plant species as the species from which the polypeptides of the invention are derived.

“Analogues” encompass polypeptides of the invention notwithstanding the occurrence of any non-naturally occurring amino acid analogues therein.

“Derivatives” include modified peptides in which ligands are attached to one or more of the amino acid residues contained therein, such as carbohydrates, enzymes, proteins, polypeptides or reporter molecules such as radionuclides or fluorescent compounds. Glycosylated, fluorescent, acylated or alkylated forms of the subject peptides are particularly contemplated by the present invention. Additionally, derivatives of an amino acid sequence described herein which comprises fragments or parts of the subject amino acid sequences are within the scope of the invention, as are homopolymers or heteropolymers comprising two or more copies of the subject polypeptides. Procedures for derivatizing peptides are well-known in the art.

TABLE 1 Three-letter One-letter Amino Acid Abbreviation Abbreviation Alanine Ala A Arginine Arg R Asparagine Asn N Aspartic acid Asp D Cysteine Cys C D-alanine Dal X Glutamine Gln Q Glutamic acid Glu E Glycine Gly G Histidine His H Isoleucine Ile I Leucine Leu L Lysine Lys K Methionine Met M Phenylalanine Phe F Proline Pro P Serine Ser S Threonine Thr T Tryptophan Trp W Tryosine Tyr Y Valine Val V Any amino acid Xaa X

Substitutions encompass amino acid alterations in which an amino acid is replaced with a different naturally-occurring or a non-conventional amino acid residue. Such substitutions may be classified as “conservative”, in which an amino acid residue contained in a cellulose gene product is replaced with another naturally-occurring amino acid of similar character, for example Gly←→Ala, Val←→Ile←→Leu, Asp←→Glu, Lys←→Arg, Asn←→Gln or Phe←→Trp←→Tyr.

Substitutions encompassed by the present invention may also be “non-conservative”, in which an amino acid residue which is present in a cellulose gene product described herein is substituted with an amino acid with different properties, such as a naturally-occurring amino acid from a different group (eg. substituted a charged or hydrophobic amino acid with alanine), or alternatively, in which a naturally-occurring amino acid is substituted with a non-conventional amino acid.

Non-conventional amino acids encompassed by the invention include, but are not limited to those listed in Table 2.

Amino acid substitutions are typically of single residues, but may be of multiple residues, either clustered or dispersed.

Amino acid deletions will usually be of the order of about 1-10 amino acid residues, while insertions may be of any length. Deletions and insertions may be made to the N-terminus, the C-terminus or be internal deletions or insertions. Generally, insertions within the amino acid sequence will be smaller than amino- or carboxy-terminal fusions and of the order of 1-4 amino acid residues.

A homologue, analogue or derivative of a cellulose gene product as referred to herein may readily be made using peptide synthetic techniques well-known in the art, such as solid phase peptide synthesis and the like, or by recombinant DNA manipulations. Techniques for making substituent mutations at pre-determined sites using recombinant DNA technology, for example by M13 mutagenesis, are also well-known. The manipulation of nucleic acid molecules to produce variant peptides, polypeptides or proteins which manifest as substitutions, insertions or deletions are well-known in the art.

The cellulose gene products described herein may be derivatized further by the inclusion or attachment thereto of a protective group which prevents, inhibits or slows proteolytic or cellular degradative processes. Such derivatization may be useful where the half-life of the subject polypeptide is required to be extended, for ample to increase the amount of cellulose produced in a primary or secondary cell wall of a plant cell or alternatively, to increase the amount of protein produced in a bacterial or eukaryotic expression system. Examples of chemical groups suitable for this purpose include. but are not limited to, any of the non-conventional amino acid residues listed in Table 2, in particular a D-stereoisomer or a methylated form of a naturally-occurring amino acid listed in Table 1. Additional chemical groups which are useful for this purpose are selected from the list comprising aryl or heterocyclic N-acyl substituents, polyalkylene oxide moieties, desulphatohirudin muttons, alpha-muteins, alpha-aminophosphonic acids, water-soluble polymer groups such as polyethylene glycol attached to sugar residues using hydrazone or oxime groups, benzodiazepine dione derivatives, glycosyl groups such as beta-glycosylamine or a derivative thereof, isocyanate conjugated to a polyol functional group or polyoxyethylene polyol capped with diisocyanate, amongst others. Similarly, a cellulose gene product or a homologue, analogue or derivative thereof may be cross-linked or fused to itself or to a protease inhibitor peptide, to reduce susceptibility of said molecule to proteolysis.

TABLE 2 Non-conventional Non-conventional amino acid Code amino acid Code α-aminobutyric acid Abu L-N-methylalanine Nmala α-amino-α-methylbutyrate Mgabu L-N-methylarginine Nmarg aminocyclopropane- Cpro L-N-methylasparagine Nmasn carboxylate L-N-methylaspartic acid Nmasp aminoisobutyric acid Aib L-N-methylcysteine Nmcys aminonorbornyl- Norb L-N-methylglutamine Nmgln carboxylate L-N-methylglutamic acid Nmglu cyclohexylalanine Chexa L-N-methylhistidine Nmhis cyclopentylalanine Cpen L-N-methylisolleucine Nmile D-alanine Dal L-N-methylleucine Nmleu D-arginine Darg L-N-methyllysine Nmlys D-aspartic acid Dasp L-N-methylmethionine Nmmet D-cysteine Dcys L-N-methylnorleucine Nmnle D-glutamine Dgln L-N-methylnorvaline Nmnva D-glutamic acid Dglu L-N-methylornithine Nmorn D-histidine Dhis L-N-methylphenylalanine Nmphe D-isoleucine Dile L-N-methylproline Nmpro D-leucine Dleu L-N-methylserine Nmser D-lysine Dlys L-N-methylthreonine Nmthr D-methionine Dmet L-N-methyltryptophan Nmtrp D-ornithine Dorn L-N-methyltyrosine Nmtyr D-phenylalanine Dphe L-N-methylvaline Nmval D-proline Dpro L-N-methylethylglycine Nmetg D-serine Dser L-N-methyl-t-butylglycine Nmtbug D-threonine Dthr L-norleucine Nle D-tryptophan Dtrp L-norvaline Nva D-tyrosine Dtyr α-methyl-aminoisobutyrate Maib D-valine Dval α-methyl-γ-aminobutyrate Mgabu D-α-methylalanine Dmala α-methylcyclohexylalanine Mchexa D-α-methylarganine Dmarg α-methylcylcopentylalanine Mcpen D-α-methylasparagine Dmasn α-methyl-α-napthylalanine Manap D-α-methylaspartate Dmasp α-methylpenicillamine Mpen D-α-methylcysteine Dmcys N-(4-aminobutyl)glycine Nglu D-α-methylglutamine Dmgln N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine Naeg D-α-methylhistidine Dmhis N-(3-aminopropyl)glycine Norn D-α-methylisoleucine Dmile N-amino-α-methylbutyrate Nmaabu D-α-methylleucine Dmleu α-napthylalanine Anap D-α-methyllysine Dmlys N-benzylglycine Nphe D-α-methylmethionine Dmmet N-(2-carbamylethyl)glycine Ngln D-α-methylornithine Dmorn N-(carbamylmethyl)glycine Nasn D-α-methylphenylalanine Dmphe N-(2-carboxyethyl)glycine Nglu D-α-methylproline Dmpro N-(carboxymethyl)glycine Nasp D-α-methylserine Dmser N-cyclobutylglycine Ncbut D-α-methylthreonine Dmthr N-cycloheptylglycine Nchep D-α-methyltryptophan Dmtrp N-cyclohexylglycine Nchex D-α-methyltyrosine Dmty N-cyclodecylglycine Ncdec D-α-methylvaline Dmval N-cylcododecylglycine Ncdod D-N-methylalanine Dnmala N-cyclooctylglycine Ncoct D-N-methylarginine Dnmarg N-cyclopropylglycine Ncpro D-N-methylasparagine Dnmasn N-cycloundecylglycine Ncund D-N-methylaspartate Dnmasp N-(2,2-diphenylethyl)glycine Nbhm D-N-methylcysteine Dnmcys N-(3,3-diphenylpropyl)glycine Nbhe D-N-methylglutamine Dnmgln N-(3-guanidinopropyl)glycine Narg D-N-methylglutamate Dnmglu N-(1-hydroxyethyl)glycine Nthr D-N-methylhistidine Dnmhis N-(hydroxyethyl))glycine Nser D-N-methylisoleucine Dnmile N-(imidazolylethyl))glycine Nhis D-N-methyfleucine Dnmleu N-(3-indolylyethyl)glycine Nhtrp D-N-methyllysine Dnmlys N-methyl-γ-aminobutyrate Nmgabu N-methylcyclohexylalanine Nmchexa D-N-methylmethionine Dnmmet D-N-methylornithine Dnmorn N-methylcyclopentylalanine Nmcpen N-methylglycine Nala D-N-methylphenylalanine Dnmphe N-methylaminoisobutyrate Nmaib D-N-methylproline Dnmpro N-(1-methylpropyl)glycine Nile D-N-methylserine Dnmser N-(2-methylpropyl)glycine Nleu D-N-methylthreonine Dnmthr D-N-methyltryptophan Dnmtrp N-(1-methylethyl)glycine Nval D-N-methyltyrosine Dnmtyr N-methyla-napthylalanine Nmanap D-N-methylvaline Dnmval N-methylpenicillamine Nmpen γ-aminobutyric acid Gabu N-(p-hydroxyphenyl)glycine Nhtyr L-t-butylglycine Tbug N-(thiomethyl)glycine Ncys L-ethylglycine Etg penicillamine Pen L-homophenylalanine Hphe L-α-methylalanine Mala L-α-methylarginine Marg L-α-methylasparagine Masn L-α-methylaspartate Masp L-α-methyl-t-butylglycine Mtbug L-α-methylcysteine Mcys L-methylethylglycine Metg L-α-methylglutamine Mgln L-α-methylglutamate Mglu L-α-methylhistidine Mhis L-α-methylhomophenylalanine Mhphe L-α-methylisoleucine Mile N-(2-methylthioethyl)glycine Nmet L-α-methylleucine Mleu L-α-methyllysine Mlys L-α-methylmethionine Mmet L-α-methylnorleucine Mnle L-α-methylnorvaline Mnva L-α-methylornithine Morn L-α-methylphenylalanine Mphe L-α-methylproline Mpro L-α-methylserine Mser L-α-methylthreonine Mthr L-α-methyltryptophan Mtrp L-α-methyltyrosine Mtyr L-α-methylvaline Mval L-N-methylhomophenylalanine Nmhphe N-(N-(2,2-diphenylethyl) Nnbhm N-(N-(3,3-diphenylpropyl) Nnbhe carbamylmethyl)glycine carbamylmethyl)glycine 1-carboxy-1-(2,2-diphenyl- Nmbc ethylamino)cyclopropane

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the recombinant cellulose gene product is characterised by at least one functional β-glycosyl transferase domain contained therein.

The term “β-glycosyl transferase domain” as used herein refers to a sequence of amino acids which is highly conserved in different processive enzymes belonging to the class of glycosyl transferase enzymes (Saxena et al., 1995), for example the bacterial β-1,4-glycosyl transferase enzymes and plant cellulose synthase enzymes amongst others, wherein said domain possesses a putative function in contributing to or maintaining the overall catalytic activity, substrate specificity or substrate binding of an enzyme in said enzyme class. The β-glycosyl transferase domain is recognisable by the occurrence of certain amino acid residues at particular locations in a polypeptide sequence, however there is no stretch of contiguous amino acid residues comprised therein.

As a consequence of the lack of contiguity in a β-glycosyl transferase domain, it is not a straightforward matter to isolate a cellulose gene by taking advantage of the presence of a β-glycosyl transferase domain in the polypeptide encoded by said gene. For example, the β-glycosyl transferase domain would not be easily utilisable as a probe to facilitate the rapid isolation of all β-glycosyl transferase genetic sequences from a particular organism and then to isolate from those genetic sequences a cellulose gene such as cellulose synthase.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides an isolated polypeptide which:

(i)contains at least one structural β-glycosyl transferase domain as hereinbefore defined; and

(ii) has at least 40% amino acid sequence similarity to at least 20 contiguous amino acid residues set forth in any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:2, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14, or a homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

More preferably, the polypeptide of the invention is at least 40% identical to at least 50 contiguous amino acid residues, even more preferably at least 100 amino acid residues of any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:2, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14, or a homologue, analogue or derivative thereof.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the percentage similarity to any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:2, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14 is at least 50-60%. more preferably at least 65-70%, even more preferably at least 75-80% and even more preferably at least 85-90%, including about 91% or 95%.

In a related embodiment, the present invention provides a “sequencably pure” form of the amino acid sequence described herein. “Sequencably pure” is hereinbefore described as substantially homogeneous to facilitate amino acid determination.

In a further related embodiment, the present invention provides a “substantially homogeneous” form of the subject amino acid sequence, wherein the term “substantially homogeneous” is hereinbefore defined as being in a form suitable for interaction with an immunologically interactive molecule. Preferably, the polypeptide is at least 20% homogeneous, more preferably at least 50% homogeneous, still more preferably at least 75% homogeneous and yet still more preferably at least about 95-100% homogenous, in terms of activity per microgram of total protein in the protein preparation.

The present invention further extends to a synthetic peptide of at least 5 amino acid residues in length derived from or comprising a part of the amino acid sequence set forth in any one or more of SEQ ID Nos:2, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14, or having at least 40% similarity thereto.

Those skilled in the art will be aware that such synthetic peptides may be useful in the production of immunologically interactive molecules for the preparation of antibodies or as the peptide component of an immunoassay.

The invention further extends to an antibody molecule such as a polyclonal or monoclonal antibody or an immunologically interactive part or fragment thereof which is capable of binding to a cellulose gene product according to any of the foregoing embodiments.

The term “antibody” as used herein, is intended to include fragments thereof which are also specifically reactive with a polypeptide of the invention. Antibodies can be fragmented using conventional techniques and the fragments screened for utility in the same manner as for whole antibodies. For example, F(ab′)2 fragments can be generated by treating antibody with pepsin. The resulting F(ab′)2 fragment can be treated to reduce disulfide bridges to produce Fab′ fragments.

Those skilled in the art will be aware of how to produce antibody molecules when provided with the cellulose gene product of the present invention. For example, by using a polypeptide of the present invention polyclonal antisera or monoclonal antibodies can be made using standard methods. A mammal, (e.g., a mouse, hamster, or rabbit) can be immunized with an immunogenic form of the polypeptide which elicits an antibody response in the mammal. Techniques for conferring immunogenicity on a polypeptide include conjugation to carriers or other techniques well known in the art. For example, the polypeptide can be administered in the presence of adjuvant. The progress of immunization can be monitored by detection of antibody titers in plasma or serum. Standard ELISA or other immunoassay can be used with the immunogen as antigen to assess the levels of antibodies. Following immunization, antisera can be obtained and, if desired IgG molecules corresponding to the polyclonal antibodies may be isolated from the sera.

To produce monoclonal antibodies, antibody producing cells (lymphocytes) can be harvested from an immunized animal and fused with myeloma cells by standard somatic cell fusion procedures thus immortalizing these cells and yielding hybridoma cells. Such techniques are well known in the art. For example, the hybridoma technique originally developed by Kohler and Milstein (1975) as well as other techniques such as the human B-cell hybridoma technique (Kozbor et al., 1983), the EBV-hybridoma technique to produce human monoclonal antibodies (Cole et al., 1985), and screening of combinatorial antibody libraries (Huse el al., 1989). Hybridoma cells can be screened immunochemically for production of antibodies which are specifically reactive with the polypeptide and monoclonal antibodies isolated.

As with all immunogenic compositions for eliciting antibodies, the immunogenically effective amounts of the polypeptides of the invention must be determined empirically. Factors to be considered include the immunogenicity of the native polypeptide, whether or not the polypeptide will be complexed with or covalently attached to an adjuvant or carrier protein or other carrier and route of administration for the composition, i.e. intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, etc., and the number of immunizing doses to be administered. Such factors are known in the vaccine art and it is well within the skill of immunologists to make such determinations without undue experimentation.

It is within the scope of this invention to include any second antibodies (monoclonal, polyclonal or fragments of antibodies) directed to the first mentioned antibodies discussed above. Both the first and second antibodies may be used in detection assays or a first antibody may be used with a commercially available anti-immunoglobulin antibody.

The present invention is further described by reference to the following non-limiting Figures and Examples.

In the Figures:

FIG. 1 is a photographic representation showing the inflorescence length of wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia plants (plants 1 and 3) and rsw1 plants (plants 2 and 4) grown at 21° C. (plants 1 and 2) or 31° C. Plants were grown initially at 21° C. until bolting commenced, the bolts were removed and the re-growth followed in plants grown at each temperature.

FIG. 2 is a photographic representation of a cryo-scanning electron micrograph showing misshapen epidermal cells in the cotyledons and hypocotyl of the rsw1 mutant when grown at 31° C. for 10 days.

FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of a gas chromatograph of alditol acetates of methylated sugars from a cellulose standard (top panel) and from the neutral glucan derived from shoots of rsw1 plants grown at 31° C. (lower panel). The co-incident peaks show that the rsw1 glucan is 1,4-linked.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the contiguous region of Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 4 (stippled box) between the cosmid markers g8300 and 06455, showing the location of overlapping YAC clones (open boxes) within the contiguous region. The position of the RSW1 locus is also indicated, approximately 1.2 cM from g8300 and 0.9 cM from 06455. The scale indicates 100 kb in length. L, left-end of YAC; R, right-end of YAC. Above the representation of chromosome 4, the YAC fragments and cosmid clone fragments used to construct the contiguous region are indicated, using a prefix designation corresponding to the YAC or cosmid from which the fragments were obtained (eg yUP9E3, yUP20B12, etc) and a suffix designation indicating whether the fragment corresponds to the right-end (RE) or left-end (LE) of the YAC clone; N, North; S, South; CAPS, cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (Konieczny and Ausubel, 1993) version of the g8300 marker.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a restriction map of construct 23H12 between the left T-DNA border (LB) and right T-DNA border (RB) sequences (top solid line), showing the position of the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 locus (stippled box). The line at the top of the figure indicates the region of 23H12 which is contained in construct pRSW1. The structure of the RSW1 gene between the translation start (ATG) and translation stop (TAG) codons is indicated at the bottom of the figure. Exons are indicated by filled boxes; introns are indicated by the solid black line. The alignment of EST clone T20782 to the 3′-end of the RSW1 gene, from near the end of exon 7 to the end of exon 14, is also indicated at the bottom of the figure. Restriction sites within 23H12 are as follows: B, BamHI; E, EcoRI; H, HindIII; S, SalI; Sm, SmaI.

FIG. 6 is a photographic representation showing complementation of the radial root swelling phenotype of the rsw1 mutant by transformation with construct 23H12. The rsw1 mutant was transformed with 23H12 as described in Example 6. Transformed rsw1 plants (centre group of three seedlings), untransformed rsw1 plants (left group of three seedlings) and untransformed A.thaliana Columbia plants (right group of three seedlings) were grown at 21° C. for 5 days and then transferred to 31° C. for a further 2 days, after which time the degree of root elongation and radial root swelling was determined.

FIG. 7 is a photographic representation comparing wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia plants (right-hand side of the ruler) and A.thaliana Columbia plants transformed with the antisense RSW1 construct (i.e. EST T20782 expressed in the antisense orientation under control of the CaMV 35S promoter sequence; left-hand side of the ruler), showing inflorescence shortening at 21° C. in plants transformed with the antisense RSW1 construct compared to untransformed Columbia plants. The phenotype of the antisense plants at 21° C. is similar to the phenotype of the rsw1 mutant at 31° C. Inflorescence height is indicated in millimeters.

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation showing the first 90 amino acid residues of Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 aligned to the amino acid sequences of homologous polypeptides from A. thaliana and other plant species. The shaded region indicates highly conserved sequences. Ath-A and Ath-B are closely related Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA clones identified by hybridisation screening using part of the RSW1 cDNA as a probe. S0542, rice EST clone (MAFF DNA bank, Japan); celA1 and celA2, cotton cDNA sequences expressed in cotton fibre (Pear et al, 1996); SOYSTF1A and SOYSTF1B, putative soybean bZIP transcription factors. Amino acid designations are as indicated in Table 1 incorporated herein. Conserved cysteine residues are indicated by the asterisk.

FIGS. (9A-9J) is a schematic representation showing the alignment of the complete amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 to the amino acid sequences of homologous polypeptides from A. thaliana and other plant species. The shaded region indicates highly conserved sequences. Ath-A and Ath-B are closely related Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA clones identified by hybridisation screening using part of the RSW1 cDNA as a probe. S0542, rice EST clone (MAFF DNA bank, Japan); celA1, cotton genetic sequence (Pear et al, 1996); D48636, a partial cDNA clone obtained from rice (Pear et al, 1996). Amino acid designations are as indicated in Table 1 incorporated herein. Numbering indicates the amino acid position in the RSW1 sequence.

FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of the RSW1 polypeptide, showing the positions of putative transmembrane helices (hatched boxes), cysteine-rich region (Cys) and aspartate residues (D) and the QVLRW signature which are conserved between RSW1 and related amino acid sequences. Regions of RSW1 which are highly-conserved between putative cellulose biosynthesis polypeptides are indicated by the dark-shaded boxes, while less-conserved regions are indicated by the light-shaded boxes.

FIG. 11 is a photographic representation of a Southern blot hybridisation of the 5′-end of the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 cDNA to BglII-digested DNA derived from A. thaliana (lane 1) and cotton (lane 2). Hybridisations were carried out under low stringency conditions at 55° C. Arrows indicate the positions of hybridising bands.

EXAMPLE 1 Characterisation of the Cellulose-Deficient Arabidopsis thaliana Mutant rsw1

1. Morphology

The Arabidopsis thaliana rsw1 mutant was produced in a genetic background comprising the ecotype Columbia.

The altered root cell-shape and temperature sensitivity of the root morphology of the Arabidopsis thaliana mutant rsw1 are disclosed, among other morphological mutants, by Baskin et al. (1992).

As shown in FIG. 1, the present inventors have shown that the rsw1 mutant exhibits the surprising phenotype of having reduced inflorescence height when grown at 31° C., compared to wild-type Columbia plants grown under similar conditions. In contrast, when grown at 21° C., the inflorescence height of rsw1 is not significantly different from wild type plants grown under similar conditions, indicating that the shoot phenotype of rsw1 is conditional and temperature-dependent.

Furthermore, cryo-scanning electron microscopy of the epidermal cells of the rsw1 mutant indicates significant abnormality in cell shape, particularly in respect of those epidermal cells forming the leaves, hypocotyl and cotyledons, when the seedlings are grown at 31° C. (FIG. 2).

Rosettes (terminal complexes) are the putative hexameric cellulose synthase complexes of higher plant plasma membranes (Herth, 1985). Freeze-fractured root cells of Arabidopsis thaliana rsw1 plants grown at 18° C. show cellulose microfibrils and rosettes on the PF face of the plasma membrane that resembles those of wild-type A. thaliana and other angiosperms. Transferring the rsw1 mutant to 31° C. reduces the number of rosettes in the mutant within 30 min, leading to extensive loss after 3 hours. Plasma membrane particles align in rows on prolonged exposure to the restrictive temperature. In contrast, there is no change in the appearance of cortical microtubules that align cellulose microfibrils, or of Golgi bodies that synthesise other wall polysaccharides and assemble rosettes.

2. Carbohydrate Content

The effect of mutations in the RSW1 gene on the synthesis of cellulose and other carbohydrates was assessed by measuring in vivo incorporation of ¹⁴C (supplied as uniformly labelled glucose) into various cell wall fractions. Wild type (RSW1) and homozygous mutant rsw1 seed were germinated at 21° C. on agar containing Hoagland's nutrients and 1% (w/v) unlabelled glucose. After 5 d, half of the seedlings were transferred to 31° C. for 1 d while the remainder were maintained at 21° C. for the same time. Seedlings were covered with a solution containing Hoagland's nutrients and ¹⁴C-glucose and incubated for a further 3 h at the same temperature. Rinsed roots and shoots were separated and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Tissue was homogenised in cold, 0.5 M potassium phosphate buffer (0.5M KH₂PO₄, pH7.0) and a crude cell wall fraction collected by centrifugation at 2800 rpm. The wall fraction was extracted with chloroform/methanol [1:1 (v/v)] at 40° C. for 1 hour, followed by a brief incubation at 150° C., to remove lipids. The pellet was washed successively with 2 ml methanol, 2 ml acetone and twice with 2 ml of deionised water. Finally. the pellet was extracted successively with dimethyl sulphoxide under nitrogen to remove starch; 0.5% ammonium oxalate to remove pectins; 0.1 M KOH and 3 mg/ml NaBH₄ and then with 4 M KOH and 3 mg/ml NaBH₄ to extract hemicelluloses; boiling acetic acid/nitric acid/water [8:1:2 (v/v)], to extract any residual non-cellulosic carbohydrates and leave crystalline cellulose as the final insoluble pellet (Updegraph, 1969). All fractions were analysed by liquid scintillation counting and the counts in each fraction from the mutant were expressed as a percentage of the counts in the wild type under the same conditions.

As shown in Table 3, mutant and wild type plants behave in quite similar fashion at 21° C. (the permissive temperature) whereas, at the restrictive temperature of 31° C., the incorporation of ¹⁴C into cellulose is severely inhibited (to 36% of wild type) by the rsw1 mutation. The data in Table 3 indicate that cellulose synthesis is specifically inhibited in the rsw1 mutant. The wild type RSW1 gene is therefore involved quite directly in cellulose synthesis and changing its sequence by mutation changes the rate of synthesis.

TABLE 3 Counts in fractions from rsw1 plants expressed as a % of counts in comparable fraction from wild type plants Pectins Hemicelluloses Cellulose 21° C. 31° C. 21° C. 31° C. 21° C. 31° C. 125 104 111 101 80 36

In homozygous mutant rsw1 plants. the pectin fraction extracted by ammonium oxalate contained abundant glucose, atypical of true uronic acid-rich pectins. The great majority of the glucose remained in the supernatant when cetyltrimethylammonium bromide precipitated the negatively charged pectins.

3. Non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan Content

The quantity of cellulose and the quantity of a non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan recovered from the ammonium oxalate fraction were determined for seedlings of wild type Columbia and for backcrossed, homozygous rsw1 that were grown for either 7 days at 21° C. or alternatively, for 2 days at 21° C. and 5 days at 31° C., on vertical agar plates containing growth medium (Baskin et al., 1992) plus 1% (w/v) glucose, and under continuous light (90 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹). Roots and shoots were separated from about 150 seedlings, freeze-dried to constant weight and ground in a mortar and pestle with 3 ml of cold 0.5 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). The combined homogenate after two buffer rinses (2 ml each) was centrifuged at 2800×g for 10 min. After washing the pellet fraction twice with 2 ml buffer and twice with 2 ml distilled water, the pellet, comprising the crude cell wall fraction, and the pooled supernatants, comprising the phosphate buffer fraction were retained. The crude cell wall pellet fraction was stirred with two 3 ml aliquots of chloroform/methanol [1:1 (v/v)] for 1 hour at 40° C., 2 ml of methanol at 40° C. for 30 min, 2 ml of acetone for 30 min, and twice with water. The whole procedure repeated in the case of shoots. Combined supernatants were dried in a nitrogen stream. The pellet was successively extracted with: (i)3 ml of DMSO-water 9:1 [v/v], sealed under nitrogen, overnight with shaking, followed by two 2 ml extractions using DMSO/water and three 2 ml water washes; (ii) 3 ml of ammonium oxalate (0.5%) at 100° C. for 1 hour, followed by two water washes; (iii) 3 ml of 0.1 M KOH containing 1 mg/ml sodium borohydride, for 1 hour at 25° C. (repeated once for root material or twice for shoot material), with a final wash with 2 ml water; (iv) 3 ml of 4 M KOH containing 1 mg/ml sodium borohydride, for 1 hour at 25° C. (repeated once for root material or twice for shoot material). The final pellet was boiled with intermittent stirring in 3 ml of acetic acid-nitric acid-water [8:1:2 (v/v)] (Updegraph 1969), combined with 2 water washes. and diluted with 5 ml water.

The insoluble residue of cellulose was solubilised in 67% (v/v) H₂SO₄, shown to contain greater than 97% (w/v) glucose using GC/MS (Fisons AS800/MD800) of alditol acetates (Doares et al., 1991) and quantified in three independent samples by anthrone/H₂SO₄ reaction. Results of GC/MS for pooled replica samples are presented in Table 4.

The non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan was recovered as the supernatant from the ammonium oxalate fraction when anionic pectins were precipitated by overnight incubation at 37° C. with 2% (w/v) cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and collected by centrifugation at 2800×g for 10 min. The glucan (250 μg/ml) or starch (Sigma; 200 μg/ml) were digested with mixtures of endocellulase (EC 3.2.1.4; Megazyme, Australia) from Trichoderma and almond β-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21; Sigma), or Bacillus sp. α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1; Sigma) and rice α-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.20; Sigma).

The material recovered in the supernatant from the ammonium oxalate fraction was shown to contain a pure β-1,4-glucan by demonstrating that: (i) only glucose was detectable when it was hydrolysed by 2 M TFA in a sealed tube for 1 h at 120° C. in an autoclave, the supernatant (2000 g for 5 min) was dried under vacuum at 45° C. to remove TFA and glucose was determined by GC/MS; (ii) methylation (Needs and Selvendran 1993) gave a dominant peak resolved by thin layer chromatography and by GC/MS that was identical to that from a cellulose standard and so indicative of 1,4-linked glucan (FIG. 3); and (iii) the endo-cellulase and β-1,4-glucosidase mixture released 83% of the TFA-releasable glucose from the glucan produced by rsw1 at 31° C. while the α-amylase/α-glucosidase mixture released no glucose from the glucan. Conversely, the α-amylase/α-glucosidase mixture released 95% of the TFA-releasable glucose from a starch sample, while the endo-cellulase/β-1,4-glucosidase mixture released no glucose from starch.

Extractability of the glucan using ammonium oxalate, and the susceptibility of the glucan to endocellulase/β-glucosidase and TFA hydrolysis indicate that the glucan in the rsw1 mutant is not crystalline, because it is the crystallinity of glucan which makes cellulose resistant to extraction and degradation.

Table 4 shows the quantity of glucose in cellulose determined by the anthrone/H₂SO₄ reaction and the quantity in the non-crystalline glucan after TFA hydrolysis, for shoots of wild type and mutant rsw1 Arabidopsis plants. The data indicate that the production of cellulose and of the non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan can be manipulated by mutational changes in the RSW1 gene.

TABLE 4 Glucose: contents of cellulose and of the ammonium oxalate-extractable glucan wild type rsw1 21 ° C. 31° C. 21° C. 31° C. Cellulose 273 + 28 363 + 18* 218 + 20 159 + 19* Glucan 22 58 24 195 All values nmol glucose mg-l plant dry weight + sd (n = 3). *Differences significant at 0.001% level.

4. Starch Content

The quantity of starch recovered in the DMSO fraction from roots in the experiment described above was also determined by the anthrone/H₂SO₄ extraction (Table 5).

As shown in Table 5. the level of starch deposited in the rsw1 mutant is 4-fold that detectable in the roots of wild-type plants at the restrictive temperature of 31° C. A similar rise in starch is also seen if the data are expressed as nmol glucose per plant. There is no detectable difference in deposition at starch between rsw1 plants and wild-type plants at 21° C.

TABLE 5 Quantity of starch (nmol glucose per mg dry weight of seedling) extracted from roots of rsw1 and wild type seedlings Phenotype Temperature Wild-type rsw1 mutant 21° C. 22 18 31° C. 37 126

The composition of cell walls in the rsw1 mutant plant compared to wild type plants at the restrictive temperature of 31° C., is summarised in Table 6.

TABLE 6 Mol % composition of cell walls from shoots of rsw1 and wild-type seedlings grown at 31° C. Phenotype Cell wall component Wild-type rsw1 mutant Crystalline cellulose 38.4 16.5 Non-crystalline 8.5 27.1 β-1,4-glucan Pectin 37.1 36.3 Alkali-soluble 15.6 19.8 Acid-soluble 0.3 0.4

In conclusion, the rsw1 mutation disassembles cellulose synthase complexes in the plasma membrane. reduces cellulose accumulation and causes β-1,4-glucan to accumulate in a non-crystalline form.

EXAMPLE 2 Mapping of YAC Clones to the rsw1 Locus

The rsw1 locus in the mutant Arabidopsis thaliana plant described in Example 1 above was mapped to chromosome 4 of A. thaliana using RFLP gene mapping techniques (Chang et al, 1988, Nam et al., 1989) to analyse the F₂ or F₃ progeny derived from a Columbia (Co)/Landsberg (Ler) cross. In particular, the rsw1 mutation was shown to be linked genetically to the ga5 locus, which is a chromosome 4 visual marker in A. thaliana.

Based on an analysis of map distances and chromosomal break points in 293 F₂ or F₃ progeny derived from a Columbia (Co)/Landsberg (Ler) cross, rsw1 was localised to an approximately 2.1 cM region between the RFLP markers g8300 and 06455, approximately 1.2 cM south of the CAPS (cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence; Konieczny and Ausubel, 1993) version of the g8300 marker (FIG. 4).

The interval between g8300 and 06455 in which rsw1 residues was found to be spanned by an overlapping set of Yeast Artificial Chromosome (YAC) clones. The clones were obtained from Plant Industry, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, Australia. The YACs were positioned in the g8300/06455 interval by hybridisation using known DNA molecular markers (from within the interval) and DNA fragments from the ends of the YACs. The length of the interval was estimated to comprise 900 kb of DNA.

Refined gene mapping of recombinants within the region spanned by YAC clones established the genetic distance between the RFLP marker g8300 and the rsw1 locus.

The combination of genetic map distance data and the mapping of YAC clones within the region further localised the rsw1 locus to the YAC clone designated yUP5C8.

EXAMPLE 3 Mapping of cDNA Clones to the YAC Clone YUP5C8

An Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA clone designated T20782 was obtained from the public Arabidopsis Resource Centre, Ohio State University, 1735 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210. United States of America. The T20782 cDNA clone was localised broadly to the DNA interval on Arabidopsis chromosome 4 between the two markers g8300 and 06455 shown in FIG. 4. Using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based approach DNA primers (5′-AGAACAGCAGATACACGGA-3′SEQ ID NO:15 and 5′-CTGAAGAAGGCTGGACAAT-3′), SEQ ID NO:16 designed to the T20782 cDNA nucleotide sequence were used to screen Arabidopsis YAC clone libraries. The T20782 cDNA clone was found to localise to YACs (CIC1F9, CIC10E9, CIC11D9) identified on the Arabidopsis chromosome 4 g8300 and 06455 interval (FIG. 4). The same approach was used to further localise clone T20782 to YAC clone yUP5C8, the same YAC designated to contain the rsw1 locus in the same chromosome interval (FIG. 4).

Furthermore, amplification of the YAC clone yUP5C8 using primers derived from T20782 produces a 500 bp fragment containing two putative exons identical to part of the T20782 nucleotide sequence, in addition to two intron sequences.

The cDNA T20782 was considered as a candidate gene involved in cellulose biosynthesis.

EXAMPLE 4 Nucleotide Sequence Analysis of the cDNA Clone T20782

The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA clone T20782 is presented in SEQ ID NO:1. The nucleotide sequence was obtained using a Dye Terminator Cycle Sequencing kit (Perkin Elmer cat. #401384) as recommended by the manufacturer. Four template clones were used for nucleotide sequencing to generate the sequence listed. The first template was the cDNA clone T20782. This template was sequenced using the following sequencing primers:

a) 5′-CAATGCATTCATAGCTCCAGCCT-3′ (SEQ ID NO:17)

b) 5′-AAAAGGCTGGAGCTATGAATGCAT-3′ (SEQ ID NO:18)

c) 5′-TCACCGACAGATTCATCATACCCG-3′ (SEQ ID NO:19)

d) 5′-GACATGGAATCACCTTAACTGCC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:20)

e) 5′-CCATTCAGTCTTGTCTTCGTAACC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:21)

f) 5′-GGTTACGAAGACAAGACTGAAATGG-3′ (SEQ ID NO:22)

g) 5′-GAACCTCATAGGCATTGTGGGCTGG-3′ (SEQ ID NO:23)

h) 5′-GCAGGCTCTATATGGGTATGATCC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:24)

i) Standard M13 forward sequencing primer.

j) Standard T7 sequencing primer.

The second template clone (T20782 SphI deletion clone) was constructed by creating a DNA deletion within the T20782 clone. The T20782 clone was digested with the restriction enzyme SphI, the enzyme was heat-killed. the DNA ligated and electroporated into NM522 E.coli host cells. The T20782 SphI deletion clone was then sequenced using a standard M13 forward sequencing primer. Two other deletion clones were made for DNA sequencing in a similar fashion but the restriction enzymes EcoRI and SmaI were used. The T20782 EcoRI deletion clone and the T20782 SnaI deletion clone were sequenced using a standard T7 sequencing primer. The DNA sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1 is for one DNA strand only however those skilled in the art will be able to generate the nucleotide sequence of the complementary strand from the data provided.

The amino acid sequence encoded by clone T20782 was derived and is set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.

The T20782 clone encodes all but the first Aspartate (D) residue of the D, D, D, QXXRW signature conserved in the general architecture of β-glycosyl transferases. In particular, T20782 encodes 5 amino acid residues of the D, D, D, QXXRW (SEQ ID NO:37) signature, between amino acid positions 109 and 370 of SEQ ID NO:2. The conserved Aspartate, Aspartate, Glutamine. Arginine and Tryptophan amino acid residues are shown below, in bold type, with the local amino acid residues also indicated:

1. Amino acid residues 105 to 113 of SEQ ID NO:2: LLNVDCDHY;

2. Amino acid residues 324 to 332 of SEQ ID NO:2: SVTEDILTG; and

3. Amino acid residues 362 to 374 of SEQ ID NO:2: DRLNQVLRWALGS.

It must be noted that these invariable amino acids merely indicate that the T20782 derived amino acid sequence belongs to a very broad group of glycosyl transferases. Some of these enzymes such as cellulose synthase, chitin synthase, alginate synthase and hyaluronic acid synthase produce functionally very different compounds.

The presence of the conserved amino acid residues merely indicate that the T20782 clone may encode a β-glycosyl transferase protein such as the cellulose gene product, cellulose synthase. The fact that the clone localises in the vicinity of a gene involved in cellulose iosynthesis is the key feature which now focus interest on the T20782 clone as a candidate for the RSW1 (cellulose synthase) gene.

The T20782 potentially codes for a cellulose synthase.

EXAMPLE 5 Nucleotide Sequence Analysis of the Genomic Clone 23H12

Clone 23H12 contains approximately 21 kb of Arabidopsis thaliana genomic DNA in the region between the left border and right border T-DNA sequences, and localises to the RSW1 candidate YAC yUP5C8. Clone 23H12 was isolated by hybridisation using EST20782 insert DNA. from a genomic DNA library made for plant transformation. Cosmid 12C4 was also shown to hybridize to the cDNA clone T20782, however this cosmid appears to comprise a partial genomic sequence corresponding to the related Ath-A cDNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:7, for which the corresponding amino acid sequence is set forth in SEQ ID NO:8.

A restriction enzyme map of clone 23H12 is presented in FIG. 5.

Nucleotide sequence of 8411 bp of genomic DNA in the binary cosmid clone 23H12 was obtained (SEQ ID NO:3) by primer walking along the 23H12 template, using a Dye Terminator Cycle Sequencing kit (Perkin Elmer cat. #401384) as recommended by the manufacturer. The following primers at least, were used for DNA sequencing of the 23H12 clone DNA:

a)cs1-R 5′-CAATGCATTCATAGCTCCAGCCT-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 17) b)cs1-F 5′-AAAAGGCTGGAGCTATGAATGCAT-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 18) c)up 5′-AGAACAGCAGATACACGGA-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 25) d)ve76-R2 5′-ATCCGTGTATCTGCTGTTCTTACC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 26) e)est1-R 5′-AATGCTCTTGTTGCCAAAGCAC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 27) f)sve76-F 5′-ATTGTCCAGCCTTCTTCAGG-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 28) g)ve76-R 5′-CTGAAGAAGGCTGGACAATGC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 29) h)B12-R1 5′-AGGTAAGCATAGCTGAACCATC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 30) i)B12-R2 5′-AGTAGATTGCAGATGGTTTTCTAC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 31) j)B12-R3 5′-TTCAATGGGTCCACTGTACTAAC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 32) k)B12-R4 5′-ATTCAGATGCACCATTGTC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 33)

The structure of the RSW1 gene contained in cosmid clone 23H12 is also presented in FIG. 5. As shown therein, coding sequences in 23H12, from the last 12 bp of exon 7 to the end of exon 14, correspond to the full T20782 cDNA sequence (i.e. SEQ ID NO:1). The nucleotide sequences of the RSW1 gene comprising exons 1 to 8 were amplified from A.thaliana Columbia double-stranded cDNA, using amplification primers upstream of the RSW1 start site and a primer internal to the EST clone T20782.

The exons in the RSW1 gene range from 81 bp to 585 bp in length and all 5′ and 3′ intron/exon splice junctions conform to the conserved intron rule.

The RSW1 transcript comprises a 5′-untranslated sequence of at least 70 bp in length, a 3243 bp coding region and a 360 bp 3′-untranslated region. Northern hybridization analyses indicate that the RSW1 transcript in wild-type A. thaliana roots, leaves and inflorescences is approximately 4.0 kb in length, and that a similar transcript size occurs in mutant tissue (data not shown).

The derived amino acid sequence of the RSW1 polypeptide encoded by the cosmid clone 23H12 (i.e. the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:6) is 1081 amino acids in length and contains the entire D, D, D, QXXRW (SEQ ID NO:37) signature characteristic of β-glycosyl transferase proteins, between amino acid position 395 and amino acid position 822. The conserved Aspartate, Glutamine, Arginine and Tryptophan residues are shown below, in bold type, with the local amino acid residues also indicated:

1. amino acid residues 391 to 399 of SEQ ID NO:6: YVSDDGSAM

2. Amino acid residues 557 to 565 of SEQ ID NO:6: LLNVDCDHY;

3. Amino acid residues 776 to 784 of SEQ ID NO:6: SVTEDILTG; and

4. Amino acid residues 814 to 826 of SEQ ID NO:6: DRLNQVLRWALGS.

The second and third conserved Aspartate residues listed supra, and the fourth conserved amino acid sequence motif listed supra (i.e. QVLRW) are also present in the cDNA clone T20782 (see Example 4 above).

The 23H12 clone potentially encodes a cellulose synthase.

EXAMPLE 6 Complementation of the rsw1 Mutation

The complementation of the cellulose mutant plant rsw1 is the key test to demonstrate the function of the clone 23H12 gene product. Complementation of the rsw1 phenotype was demonstrated by transforming the binary cosmid clone 23H12, or a derivative clone thereof encoding a functional gene product, into the Arabidopsis thaliana cellulose mutant rsw1. Two DNA constructs (23H12 and pRSW1) were used to complement the rsw1 mutant plant line.

1. Construct 23H12

Clone 23H12 is described in Example 5 and FIG. 5.

2. Construct pRSW1

The 23H12 construct has an insert of about 21 kb in length. To demonstrate that any complementation of the phenotype of the rsw1 mutation is the result of expression of the gene which corresponds to SEQ ID NO:3. a genetic construct, designated as pRSW1, comprising the putative RSW1 gene with most of the surrounding DNA deleted, was produced. A restriction enzyme (RE) map of the RSW1 gene insert in pRSW 1 is provided in FIG. 5. To produce pRSW1, the RSW1 gene was subcloned from cosmid 23H12 and cloned into the binary plasmid pBIN19. Briefly, Escherichia coli cells containing cosmid 23H12 were grown in LB medium supplemented with tetracyclin (3.5 mg/L). Plasmid DNA was prepared by alkaline lysis and digested sequentially with restriction enzymes PvuII and SalI. Two co-migrating fragments of 9 kb and 10 kb. respectively, were isolated. as a single fraction from a 0.8% (w/v) agarose gel. The RSW1 gene was contained on the 10 kb PvuII/SalI fragment. The 9 kb fragment appeared to be a PvuII cleavage product not comprising the RSW1 gene. The restriction fragments were ligated into pBIN19 digested with SmaI and SalI. An aliquot of the ligation mix was introduced by electroporation into E.coli strain XLB1. Colonies resistant to kanamycin (50 mg/L) were selected and subsequently characterised by restriction enzyme analysis to identify those clones which contained only the 10 kb PvuII/SalI fragment comprising the RSW1 gene, in pBIN19.

3. Transfer of the 23H12 and pRSW1 Constructs to Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Cosmid 23H12 was transferred to Agrobacterium by triparental mating, essentially as described by Ditta et al. (1980). Three bacterial strains as follows were mixed on solid LB medium without antibiotics: Strain 1 was an E. coli helper strain containing the mobilising plasmid pRK2013, grown to stationary phase; Strain 2 was E.coli containing cosmid 23H12, grown to stationary phase; and Strain 3 was an exponential-phase culture of A. tumefaciens strain AGL1 (Lazo et al., 1991). The mixture was allowed to grow over night at 28° C., before an aliquot was streaked out on solid LB medium containing antibiotics (ampicillin 50 mg/L. rifampicin 50 mg/L, tetracyclin 3.5 mg/L) to select for transformed A. tumefaciens AGL1. Resistant colonies appeared after 2-3 days at 28° C. and were streaked out once again on selective medium for further purification. Selected colonies were then subcultured in liquid LB medium supplemented with rifampicin (50 mg/L) and tetracyclin (3.5 mg/L) and stored at −80° C.

Plasmid pRSW1 (initially designated as p2029) was introduced into A. tumefaciens strain AGL1 by electroporation.

4. Transformation of rsw1 Plants

The rsw1 plant line was transformed with constructs 23H12 and pRSW1 using vacuum infiltration essentially as described by Bechtold et al. (1993).

5. Analysis of Radial Swelling in Transformants

Complementation of the radial swelling (rsw) phenotype , which is characteristic of the rsw1 mutant plant, was assayed by germinating transformed (i.e. T1 seed) rsw1 seeds obtained as described supra on Hoaglands plates containing 50 μg/ml kanamycin. Plates containing the transformed seeds were incubated at 21° C. for 10-12 days. Kanamycin-resistant seedlings were transferred to fresh Hoaglands plates containing 50 μg/ml kanamycin and incubated at 31° C. for 2 days Following this incubation, the root tip was examined for a radial swelling phenotype. Under these conditions, the roots of wild-type plants do not show any radial swelling phenotype however, the roots of rsw1 plants show clear radial swelling at the root tip and also have a short root compared to the wild-type plants. As a consequence, determination of the radial swelling phenotype of the transformed plants was indicative of successful complementation of the rsw1 phenotype.

The kanamycin-resistant seedlings were maintained by further growth of seedlings at 21° C., following the high temperature incubation. Once plants had recovered, the seedlings were transferred to soil and grown in cabinets at 21° C. (16 hr light/8 hr dark cycle). T2 seed was then harvested from mature individual plants.

Using the 23H12 construct for rsw1 transformation, a total of 262 kanamycin-resistant seedlings were obtained. All of these transformants were tested for complementation of the root radial swelling phenotype. A total of 230 seedlings showed a wild type root phenotype, while only 32 seedlings showed the radial swelling root phenotype characteristic of rsw1 plants. By way of example, FIG. 6 shows the phenotypes of transformed seedlings compared to untransformed wild-type and rsw1 seedlings, following incubation at 31° C. As shown in FIG. 6, there is clear complementation of the radial swelling phenotype in the transformed seedlings, with normal root length being exhibited by the transformed seedlings at 31° C.

Using the pRSW1 construct for transformation, a total of 140 kanamycin-resistant seedlings were obtained. All of the 11 seedlings tested for complementation of the root radial swelling phenotype showed a wild type root phenotype and none of the seedlings showed any signs of radial swelling in the roots (data not shown).

6. General Morphological Analysis of the Complemented rsw1 Mutant Line

Further characterisation of the complemented rsw1 plants has shown that other morphological characteristics of rsw1 have also been restored in the transgenic lines, for example the bolt (inflorescence) height, and the ability of the plants to grow wild type cotyledons, leaves, trichomes, siliques and flowers at 31° C. (data not shown).

7. Biochemical Complementation of the rsw1 Mutant Line

T2 seed from transformations using cosmid 23H12 as described supra or alternatively, using the binary plasmid pBin19 which lacks any RSW1 gene sequences, was sown on Hoagland's solid media containing kanamycin (50 μg/ml), incubated for 2 days at 21° C. and then transferred to 31° C. for 5 days. Wild-type A. thaliana Columbia plants were grown under similar conditions but without kanamycin in the growth medium. Kanamycin resistant T2 seedlings which have at least one copy of the 23H12 cosmid sequence, and wild-type seedlings, were collected and frozen for cellulose analysis.

Cellulose levels were determined as acetic-nitric acid insoluble material (Updegraph, 1969) for 10 lines of kanamycin-resistant T2 plants transformed with the 23H12 cosmid sequence, and compared to the cellulose levels in rsw1 mutant plants, wild-type A.thaliana Columbia plants and A.thaliana Columbia plants transformed with the binary plasmid pBin19. The results are provided in Table 7.

As shown in Table 7, the cellulose levels have been significantly elevated in the complemented rsw1 (T2) plants, compared to the cellulose levels measured in the rsw1 mutant parent plant. In fact, cellulose levels in the 23H12-transformed plants, expressed relative to the fresh weight of plant material or on a per seedling basis, are not significantly different from the cellulose levels of either wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia plants or A.thaliana Columbia transformed with the binary plasmid pBin19. These data indicate that the 23H12 cosmid is able to fully complement the cellulose-deficient phenotype of the rsw1 mutant.

Homozygous T3 lines are generated to confirm the data presented in Table 7.

Furthermore, data presented in Table 7 indicate that there is no difference in the rate of growth of the T2 transformed rsw1 plants and wild-type plants at 31° C., because the fresh weight of such plants does not differ significantly. In contrast, the fresh weight of mutant rsw1 seedlings grown under identical conditions is only approximately 55% of the level observed in T2 lines transformed with 23H12 (range about 30% to about 80%). These data support the conclusion that cellulose levels have been manipulated in the complemented rsw1 (T2) plants.

Furthermore, the rate of cellulose synthesis in 23H12-transformed plants and wild-type plants at 31° C. as measured by ¹⁴C incorporation is also determined.

Furthermore, the β-1,4-glucan levels and starch levels in the 23H12 transformant lines are shown to be similar to the β-1,4-glucan and starch levels in wild-type plants.

TABLE 7 CELLULOSE LEVELS IN rsw1 PLANTS TRANSFORMED WITH COSMID CLONE 23H12 SAMPLE SEEDLING SIZE FRESH CELLULOSE CELLULOSE (No. of WEIGHT (mg cellulose/ (mg cellulose/ PLANT LINE plants) (mg) 100 mg tissue) seedling) 1.2 (rsw1 + 23H12) 126 2.51 1.23 0.031 1.4 (rsw1 + 23H12) 132 2.25 2.50 0.056 2.1 (rsw1 + 23H12) 126 3.23 1.29 0.042 3.1 (rsw1 + 23H12) 127 3.75 1.23 0.046 3.10 128 3.52 1.69 0.060 (rsw1 + 23H12) 4.4 (rsw1 + 23H12) 110 5.14 1.31 0.067 4.5 (rsw1 + 23H12) 125 3.18 1.26 0.040 5.3 (rsw1 + 23H12) 124 2.77 1.17 0.032 9.2 (rsw1 + 23H12) 125 2.26 1.41 0.032 10.8 126 2.4 1.20 0.029 (rsw1 + 23H12) Columbia/pBin19 106 2.64 1.34 0.035 Columbia 178 2.73 1.18 0.032 rsw1 mutant 179 1.77 0.84 0.015

EXAMPLE 7 Determination of the Full-Length Nucleotide Sequence Encoding the Wild-Type RSW1 Polypeptide

Arabidopsis thaliana double-stranded cDNA and cDNA libraries were prepared using the CAPFINDER cDNA kit (Clontech). RNA was isolated from wild-type Columbia grown in sterile conditions for 21 days.

Approximately 100,000 cDNA clones in an unamplified cDNA library were screened under standard hybridization conditions at 65° C., using a probe comprising ³²P-labelled DNA amplified from double stranded cDNA. To prepare the hybridization probe, the following amplification primers were used:

1. 2280-F:5′GAATCGGCTACGAATTTCCCA 3′ (2226-2246 of SEQ ID NO:3)

2. 2370-F:5′TTGGTTGCTGGATCCTACCGG 3′ (2314-2334 of SEQ ID NO:3)

3. csp1-R:5′GGT TCT AAA TCT TCT TCC GTC 3′ (6120-6140 of SEQ ID NO:3)

wherein the primer combinations were either 2280-F/csp1-R or 2370-F/csp1-R. The primer 2280-F corresponds to nucleotide positions 2226 to 2246 in SEQ ID NO:3, upstream of the translation start site. The primer 2370-F corresponds to nucleotide positions 2314 to 2334 in SEQ ID NO:3. encoding amino acids 7 through 13 of the RSW1 polypeptide. The primer csp1-R comprises nucleotide sequences complementary to nucleotides 588 to 608 of the T20782 clone (SEQ ID NO:1) corresponding to nucleotides 6120 to 6140 of SEQ ID NO:3. The hybridization probes produced are approximately 1858 nucleotides in length (2280-F/csp1-R primer combination) or 1946 nucleotides in length (2370-F/csp1-R primer combination).

Five hybridizing bacteriophage clones were identified, which were plaque-purified to homogeneity during two successive rounds of screening. Plasmids were rescued from the positively-hybridizing bacteriophage clones, using the Stratagene excision protocol for the ZapExpress™ vector according to the manufacturer's instructions. Colony hybridizations confirmed the identity of the clones.

Isolated cDNA clones were sequenced by primer walking similar to the method described in Examples 4 and 5 supra.

A full-length wild-type RSW1 nucleotide sequence was compiled from the nucleotide sequences of two cDNA clones. First, the 3′-end of the cDNA, encoding amino acids 453-1081 of RSW1, corresponded to the nucleotide sequence of the EST clone T20782 (SEQ ID NO:1). The remaining cDNA sequence, encoding amino acids 1-654 of RSW1, was generated by amplification of the 5′-end from cDNA, using primer 2280-F, which comprises nucleotide sequences approximately 50-70 bp upstream of the RSW1 translation start site in cosmid 23 H12, and primer csp1-R, which comprises nucleotide sequences complementary to nucleotides 588 to 608 of the T20782 clone (SEQ ID NO:1).

Several amplified clones are sequenced to show that no nucleotide errors were introduced by the amplification process. The 5′ and 3′ nucleotide sequences are spliced together to produce the complete RSW1 open reading frame and 3′-untranslated region provided in SEQ ID NO:5.

Those skilled in the art will be aware that the 5′-end and 3′-end of the two incomplete cDNAs are spliced together to obtain a full-length cDNA clone. the nucleotide sequence of which is set forth in SEQ ID NO:5.

Of the remaining cDNA clones, no isolated cDNA clone comprised a nucleotide sequence which precisely matched the nucleotide sequence of the RSW1 gene present in cosmid 23H12. However, several clones containing closely-related sequences were obtained, as summarised in Table 8. The nucleotide sequences of the Ath-A and Ath-B cDNAs are provided herein as SEQ ID Nos: 7 and 9, respectively.

TABLE 8 CHARACTERISATION OF A. thaliana cDNA CLONES CLONE NAME DESCRIPTION LENGTH SEQ ID NO: RSW1.1A chimeric clone partial not provided RSW1A chimeric clone partial not provided Ath-A 12C4 cDNA full-length SEQ ID NO: 7 Ath-B new sequence full-length SEQ ID NO: 9 RSW4A identical to Ath-B full-length not provided

The derived amino acid sequences encoded by the cDNAs listed in Table 8, is provided in FIGS. 8 and 9 and SEQ ID Nos: 8 and 10 herein.

FIG. 10 a schematic representation of the important features of the RSW1 polypeptide which are conserved within A.thaliana and between A.thaliana and other plant species. In addition to the species indicated in FIG. 10, the present inventors have also identified maize, wheat, barley and Brassica ssp. cellulose biosynthetic genes by homology search. Accordingly, the present invention extends to cellulose genes and cellulose biosynthetic polypeptides as hereinbefore defined, derived from any plant species, including A. thaliana, cotton, rice, wheat, barley, maize, Eucalyptus ssp., Brassica ssp. Pinus ssp., Populus ssp., Picea ssp., hemp, jute and flax, amongst others.

EXAMPLE 8 Isolation of Full-Length Nucleotide Sequence Encoding the Mutant RSW1 Polypeptide

Arabidopsis thaliana double-stranded cDNA and cDNA libraries were prepared using the CAPFINDER cDNA kit (Clontech). RNA was isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia rsw1 mutant plants grown in sterile conditions for 21 days.

The full-length rsw1 mutant nucleotide sequence was generated by sequencing two amplified DNA fragments spanning the rsw1 mutant gene. The 5′-end sequence of the cDNA (comprising the 5′-untranslated region and exons 1-11) was amplified using the primer combination 2280-F/csp1-R (Example 7). The 3′-end sequence was amplified using the primers EST1-F and cs3-R set forth below:

1. Primer EST1-F: 5′AATGCTTCTTGTTGCCAAAGCA 3′ (1399-1420 of SEQ ID NO:5)

2. Primer cs3-R: 5′GACATGGAATCACCTTAACTGCC 3′ (3335-3359 of SEQ ID NO:5)

wherein primer EST1-F corresponds to nucleotide positions 1399-1420 of SEQ ID NO:5 (within exon 8) and primer cs3-R is complementary to nucleotides 3335-3359 of SEQ ID NO:5 (within the 3′-untranslated region of the wild-type transcript).

The full-length sequence of the mutant rsw1 transcript is set forth herein as SEQ ID NO:11.

Whilst not being bound by any theory or mode of action, a single nucleotide substitution in the rsw1 mutant nucleotide sequence (nucleotide position 1716 in SEQ ID NO:11), relative to the wild-type RSW1 nucleotide sequence (nucleotide position 1646 in SEQ ID NO:5), resulting in Ala549 being substituted with Val549 in the mutant polypeptide, may contribute to the altered activity of the RSW1 polypeptide at non-permissive temperatures such as 31° C. Additional amino acid substitutions are also contemplated by the present invention, to alter the activity of the RSW1 polypeptide, or to make the polypeptide temperature-sensitive.

EXAMPLE 9 Antisense Inhibition of Cellulose Production in Transgenic Plants

1. Construction of an Antisense RSW1 Binary Vector

One example of transgenic plants in which cellulose production is inhibited is provided by the expression of an antisense genetic construct therein. Antisense technology is used to target expression of a cellulose gene(s) to reduce the amount of cellulose produced by transgenic plants.

By way of exemplification, an antisense plant transformation construct has been engineered to contain the T20782 cDNA insert (or a part thereof) in the antisense orientation and in operable connection with the CaMV 35S promoter present in the binary plasmid pRD410 (Datla et al. 1992). More particularly, the T20782 cDNA clone, which comprises the 3′-end of the wild-type RSW1 gene, was digested with XbaI and KpnI and cloned into the kanamycin-resistant derivative of pGEM3zf(−), designated as plasmid, pJKKMf(−). The RSW1 sequence was sub-cloned, in the antisense orientation, into the binary vector pRD410 as a XbaI/SacI fragment, thereby replacing the β-glucuronidase (GUS or uidA) gene. This allows the RSW1 sequence to be transcribed in the antisense orientation under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter.

The antisense RSW1 binary plasmid vector was transferred to Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain AGL1, by triparental mating and selection on rifampicin and kanamycin, as described by Lazo et al. (1991). The presence of the RSW1 insert in transformed A.tumefaciens cells was confirmed by Southern hybridization analysis (Southern, 1975). The construct was shown to be free of deletion or rearrangements prior to transformation of plant tissues, by back-transformation into Escherichia coli strain JM101 and restriction digestion analysis.

2. Transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana

Eight pots, each containing approximately 16 A. thaliana ecotype Columbia plants, were grown under standard conditions. Plant tissue was transformed with the antisense RSW1 binary plasmid by vacuum infiltration as described by Bechtold et al (1993). Infiltration media contained 2.5% (w/v) sucrose and plants were infiltrated for 2 min until a vacuum of approximately 400 mm Hg was obtained. The vacuum connection was shut off and plants allowed to sit under vacuum for 5 min.

Approximately 34,000 T1 seed was screened on MS plates containing 50 μg/ml kanamycin, to select for plants containing the antisense RSW1 construct. Of the T1 seed sown, 135 kanamycin-resistant seedlings were identified, of which 91 were transferred into soil and grown at 21° C. under a long-day photoperiod (16 hr light; 8 hr dark).

Of the 91 transgenic lines, 19 lines were chosen for further analysis which had anther filaments in each flower which were too short to deposit pollen upon the stigma and, as a consequence, required hand-pollination to obtain T2 seed therefrom.

T2 seed from 14 of these 19 lines was plated out onto vertical Hoaglands plates containing kanamycin to determine segregation ratios. Between five and ten seed were plated per transgenic line. Control seeds, including A. thaliana Columbia containing the binary vector pBIN19 (Bevan, 1984) and segregating 3:1 for kanamycin resistance, and the rsw1 mutant transformed with the NPTII gene, also segregating 3:1 for kanamycin resistance, were grown under the same conditions. Kanamycin-resistant plants were transferred to soil and grown at 21° C. under long days, until flowering. Untransformed Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia plants were also grown under similar conditions. in the absence of kanamycin.

3. Morphology of Antisense-RSW1 Plants

A comparison of the morphology of antisense RSW1 plants grown at 21° C., to mutant rsw1 plants grown at the non-permissive temperature (i.e. 31° C.) has identified a number of common phenotypes. For example, the antisense plants exhibit reduced fertility, inflorescence shortening and have short anthers, compared to wild-type plants, when grown at 21° C. These phenotypes are also observed in mutant rsw1 plants grown at 31° C. These results suggest that the antisense construct in the transgenic plants may be targeting the expression of the wild-type RSW1 gene at 21° C.

FIG. 7 shows the reduced inflorescence (bolt) height in antisense 35S-RSW1 plants compared to wild-type A. thaliana Columbia plants grown under identical conditions.

4. Cell Wall Carbohydrate Analysis of Antisense Plants

T3 plants which are homozygous for the 35S-RSW1 antisense construct are generated and the content of cellulose therein is determined as described in Example 1. Plants expressing the antisense construct are shown to have significantly less cellulose in their cell walls, compared to wild-type plants. Additionally, the levels of non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan and starch are elevated in the cells of antisense plants, compared to otherwise isogenic plant lines which have not been transformed with the antisense genetic construct.

5. Antisense 35S-RSW1 mRNA Expression Levels in Transgenic Plants

Total RNA was extracted from 0.2 g of leaf tissue derived from 33 kanamycin-resistant T1 plants containing the antisense 35S-RSW1 genetic construct, essentially according to Longemann et al. (1986). Total RNA (25 μg) was separated on a 2.2M formaldehyde/agarose gel, blotted onto nylon filters and hybridized to a riboprobe comprising the sense strand sequence of the cDNA clone T20782. To produce the riboprobe, T7 RNA polymerase was used to transcribe sense RNA from a linearised plasmid template containing T20782, in the presence of [α-³²P]UTP. Hybridizations and subsequent washes were performed as described by Dolferus et al. (1994). Hybridized membranes were exposed to Phosphor screens (Molecular Dynamics, USA).

The levels of expression of the RSW1 antisense transcript were determined and compared to the level of fertility observed for the plant lines. As shown in Table 9, the level of antisense gene expression is correlated with the reduced fertility phenotype of the antisense plants. In 13 lines, a very high or high level of expression of the 35S-RSW1 antisense gene was observed and, in 11 of these lines fertility was reduced. Only lines 2W and 3E which expressed high to very high levels of antisense mRNA, appeared to be fully fertile. In 12 lines which expressed medium levels of antisense mRNA, approximately one-half were fertile and one-half appeared to exhibit reduced fertility. In contrast, in 8 plant lines in which only a low or very low level of expression of the antisense 35S-RSW1 genetic construct was observed, a wild-type (i.e. fertile) phenotype was observed for all but one transgenic line, line 2R.

Data presented in Table 9 and FIG. 7 indicate that the phenotype of the cellulose-deficient mutant rsw1 may be reproduced by expressing antisense RSW1 genetic constructs in transgenic plants.

To confirm reduced cellulose synthesis and/or deposition in transgenic plants expressing the antisense RSW1 gene, the level of cellulose is measured by the ¹⁴C incorporation assay or as acetic/nitric acid insoluble material as described in Example 1 and compared to cellulose production in otherwise isogenic wild-type plants. Cellulose production in the transgenic plants is shown to be significantly reduced compared to wild-type plants. The severity of phenotype of the transgenic plants thus produced varies considerably, depending to some extent upon the level of inhibition of cellulose biosynthesis.

TABLE 9 LEVELS OF ANTISENSE GENE EXPRESSION AND FERTILITY IN T1 LINES OF ANTISENSE 35S-RSW1 PLANTS T1 ANTISENSE PLANT 35S-RSW1 LINE EXPRESSION FERTILITY B very high sterile* 2B very high sterile* 3E very high fertile 2E high sterile* 2K high sterile* 2M high sterile* 2O high sterile* 2P high sterile* 2W high fertile 2Z high sterile* 3G high sterile* 3Q high sterile* 7Q high sterile* 7N medium sterile* 7G medium fertile 1C medium sterile* 2X medium sterile* 2H medium fertile C medium sterile* F medium sterile* 2Q medium fertile 3P medium sterile* 3T medium fertile 5D medium sterile* 6A medium fertile 8E low fertile 2R low sterile* 7A low fertile 7S low fertile 7O low fertile 7R low fertile 1B very low fertile 2U very low fertile *sterile phenotype not indicative of complete sterility, but that hand pollination at least, is required to obtain seed from such plants.

EXAMPLE 10 RSW1 Related Sequences in Rice Plants

To identify RSW1 related nucleotide sequences in rice, a genetic sequence database was searched for nucleotide sequences which were closely-related to one or more of the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 nucleotide sequences described in the preceding Examples. Rice EST S0542 (MAFF DNA bank, Japan) was identified, for which only a partial nucleotide sequences was available. Additionally, before the instant invention, there was no probable function attached to the rice EST S0542 sequence.

The present inventors have obtained the complete nucleotide sequence of clone S0542 and derived the amino acid sequence encoded therefor. The S0542 cDNA is only 1741 bp in length and appears to be a partial cDNA clone because, although it comprises 100 bp of 5′-untranslated sequence and contains the ATG start codon, it is truncated at 3′-end and, as a consequence encodes only the first 547 amino acid residues of the rice RSW1 or RSW1-like polypeptide. Based upon the length of the corresponding Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 polypeptide (1081 amino acids), the rice RSW1 sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:14 appears to contain approximately one-half of the complete amino acid sequence.

The N-terminal half of the rice RSW1 amino acid sequence is approximately 70% identical to the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:6, with higher homology (approximately 90%) occurring between amino acid residues 271-547 of the rice sequence. These data strongly suggest that S0542 is the rice homologue of the A. thaliana RSW1 gene. Alignments of rice, A. thaliana and cotton RSW1 amino acid sequences are presented in FIGS. 9 and 10.

To isolate full-length cDNA clones and genomic clone equivalents of S0542 (this study and MAFF DNA bank, Japan) or D48636 (Pear et al., 1996), cDNA and genomic clone libraries are produced using rice mRNA and genomic DNA respectively, and screened by hybridisation using the S0542 or D48636 cDNAs as a probe, essentially as described herein. Positive-hybridising plaques are identified and plaque-purified. during further rounds of screening by hybridisation, to single plaques.

The rice clones are sequenced as described in the preceding Examples to determine the complete nucleotide sequences of the rice RSW1 genes and derived amino acid sequences therefor. Those skilled in the art will be aware that such gene sequences are useful for the production of transgenic plants, in particular transgenic cereal plants having altered cellulose content and/or quality, using standard techniques. The present invention extends to all such genetic sequences and applications therefor.

EXAMPLE 11 RSW1 Related Sequences in Cotton Plants

A ³²P-labelled RSW1 PCR fragment was used to screen approximately 200,000 cDNA clones in a cotton fibre cDNA library. The RSW1 PCR probe was initially amplified from Arabidopsis thaliana wild type cDNA using the primers 2280-F and csp1-R described in the preceding Examples. and then re-amplified using the primer combination 2370-F/csp1-R, also described in the preceding Examples.

Hybridisations were carried out under low stringency conditions at 55° C. Six putative positive-hybridising plaques were identified in the first screening round. Using two further rounds of screening by hybridisation, four of these plaques were purified to single plaques. Three plaques hybridise very strongly to the RSW1 probe while the fourth plaque hybridises less intensely.

We conclude that the positive-hybridising plaques which have been purified are strong candidates for comprising cotton RSW1 gene sequences or RSW1-like gene sequences. Furthermore, the cotton cDNAs may encode the catalytic subunit of cellulose synthase, because the subunit protein architecture of cellulose synthase appears to be highly conserved among plants as highlighted in the preceding Example.

Furthermore, a Southern blot of cotton genomic DNA digested with BglII was hybridised with the 5′ end of the RSW1 cDNA, under low stringency hybridisation conditions at 55° C. Results are presented in FIG. 11. These data demonstrate that RSW1-related sequences exist in the cotton genome.

The cotton cDNA clones described herein are sequenced as described in the preceding Examples and used to produce transgenic cotton plants having altered fibre characteristics. The cDNAs are also used to genetically alter the cellulose content and/or quality of other plants, using standard techniques.

EXAMPLE 12 RSW1 Related Sequences in Eucalyptus ssp.

Putative Eucalyptus ssp. cellulose synthase catalytic subunit gene fragments were obtained by amplification using PCR. DNA primers were designed to conserved amino acid residues found in the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 and 12C4 amino acid sequences. Three primers were used for PCR. The primers are listed below:

pcsF-I 5′-AA/GAAGATIGAC/TTAC/TC/TTIAAA/GGACTAA-3′ (SEQ ID NO:34)

pcsR-II 5′-ATIGTIGGIGTICG/TA/GTTC/TTGA/T/G/CCT/GA/T/C/GCC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:35)

pcsF-II 5′-GCIATGAAA/GA/CGIGAITAC/TGAA/GGA-3′ (SEQ ID NO:36)

Using standard PCR conditions (50° C. annealing temperature) and solutions, the primer sets pcsF-I/pcsR-II and pcsF-II/pcsR-II were used to amplify genetic sequences from pooled Eucalyptus ssp. cDNA. In the first reaction primers pcsF-I and pcsR-II were used to generate a fragment approximately 700 bp in length. In the second PCR reaction, which used primers pcsF-II and pcsR-II, a fragment estimated to 700 bp was obtained. The sizes of the PCR fragments are within the size range estimated for the corresponding Arabidopsis thaliana sequences.

We conclude that the amplified Eucalyptus ssp. PCR fragments are likely to be related to the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 gene and may encode at least a part of the Eucalyptus ssp. cellulose synthase catalytic subunit.

The Eucalyptus ssp. PCR clones described herein are sequenced as described in the preceding Examples and used to isolate the corresponding full-length Eucalyptus ssp cDNAs and genomic gene equivalents. Those skilled in the art will be aware that such gene sequences are useful for the production of transgenic plants, in particular transgenic Eucalyptus ssp plants having altered cellulose content and/or quality, using standard techniques. The present invention extends to all such genetic sequences and applications therefor.

EXAMPLE 13 Non-Crystalline B-1,4-Glucan as a Modifier of Cell Wall Properties

The properties of plant cell walls depend on the carbohydrates, proteins and other polymers of which they are composed and the complex ways in which they interact. Increasing the quantities of non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan in cell walls affects those wall properties which influence mechanical, nutritional and many other qualities as well as having secondary consequences resulting from the diversion of carbon into non-crystalline glucan at the expense of other uses. To illustrate one of these effects, we investigated the ability of the non-crystalline glucan to hydrogen bond to other wall components particularly cellulose in the way that has been shown to be important for wall mechanics.

Hemicelluloses such as xyloglucans cross-link cellulose microfibrils by hydrogen bonding to the microfibril surface (Levy et al., 1991). Since the β-1,4-glucan backbone of xyloglucan is thought to be responsible for hydrogen bonding (with the xylose, galactose and fucose substitutions limiting the capacity to form further hydrogen bonds) we can expect the non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan also to have a capacity to hydrogen bond and cross link cellulose. The effectiveness of strong alkalis in extracting xyloglucans is thought to relate to their disruption of the hydrogen bonds with cellulose (Hayashi and MacLachlan, 1984).

To demonstrate that the non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan forms similar associations with the cellulose microfibrils, we examined whether the 4 M KOH fraction, extracted from shoots of the rsw1 mutant and from wild type RSW1 plants, contained non-crystalline glucan in addition to xyloglucan. The non-crystalline glucan was separated from xyloglucan in the 4 M KOH extract by dialysing the neutralised extract against distilled water and centrifuging at 14000 g for 1 hour. The pellet was shown to be a pure β-1,4-glucan by using the methods for monosaccharide analysis, methylation analysis and enzyme digestion used to characterise the glucan in the ammonium oxalate fraction (see Example 1).

Table 10 shows the presence of substantial quantities of glucan recovered in pure form in the pellet from 4 M KOH fractions extracted from the overproducing rsw1 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana. These data also demonstrate the presence of smaller quantities of non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan in the 4 M KOH fraction from wild type plants, compared to rsw1, particularly when grown at 31° C.

TABLE 10 Glucose contents* of 4M KOH fractions from shoots of wild-type and rsw1 mutant Arabidopsis thaliana plants wild-type rsw1 mutant Glucose fraction 21° C. 31° C. 21° C. 31° C. xyloglucan and non-crystalline 36.4 56.9 27.1 93.1 glucan in whole extract non-crystalline glucan in pellet 7.8 20.5 7.6 56.0 *nmol glucose/mg plant dry weight after TFA hydrolysis

The monosaccharide composition of the supernatant remaining after centrifugation was determined after TFA hydrolysis. These data, and data from methylation analysis, are consistent with the supernatant being a relatively pure xyloglucan. The supernatant was free of glucan, because no glucose could be released by the endocellulase/β-glucosidase mixture that released glucose from β-1,4-glucan.

The presence of both non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan and xyloglucan in the 4 M KOH fraction, when taken together with the implications from structural predictions (Levy et al, 1991), is consistent with some of the non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan in the wall hydrogen bonding to cellulose microfibrils in similar fashion to the β-1,4-glucan backbone of xyloglucan.

The cross linking provided when xyloglucans and other hemicelluloses bind to two or more microfibrils is an important determinant of the mechanical properties of cellulosic walls (Hayashi, 1989). The effects of increasing the amounts of non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan in walls are likely to be greatest in walls which otherwise possess relatively low levels of cross linking as a result of high ratios of cellulose: hemicelluloses. Such conditions are common in secondary walls including those of various fibres, and the cellulose:hemicellulose ratio is particularly high in cotton fibres.

The effects on wall mechanical properties of overproducing non-crystalline glucan are shown by transforming plants with the mutant allele of rsw1 (SEQ ID NO:11) operably under the control of either the RSW1 promoter derived from SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:4 or alternatively, an appropriate constitutive promoter such as the CaMV 35S promoter. Production of non-crystalline glucan is quantified by fractionating the cell walls using the methods described above to show in particular that non-crystalline glucan is recovered in the 4 M KOH fraction. Mechanical properties of the cell walls are measured using standard methods for fibre analysis to study parameters such as stress-strain curves, and breaking strain, amongst other properties.

EXAMPLE 14 Over-Expression of Cellulose Synthase in Transgenic Plants

Three strategies are employed to over-express cellulose synthase in Arabidopsis thaliana plants.

In the first strategy, the CaMV 35S promoter sequence is operably connected to the full-length cellulose synthase cDNA which is obtainable by primer extension of SEQ ID NO:1. This is achievable by cloning the full-length cDNA encoding cellulose synthase, in the sense orientation, between the CaMV 35S promoter or other suitable promoter operable in plants and the nopaline synthase terminator sequences of the binary plasmid pBI121.

In the second strategy, the coding part of the genomic gene is cloned, in the sense orientation, between the CaMV 35S promoter and the nopaline synthase terminator sequences of the binary plasmid pBI121.

In the third strategy, the 23H12 binary cosmid clone or the derivative pRSW1, containing the cellulose synthase gene sequence operably under the control of the cellulose synthase gene promoter and terminator sequences is prepared in a form suitable for transformation of plant tissue.

For Agrobacterium-mediated tissue transformation, binary plasmid constructs discussed supra are transformed into Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain AGL1 or other suitable strain. The recombinant DNA constructs are then introduced into wild type Arabidopsis thaliana plants (Columbia ecotype), as described in the preceding Examples.

Alternatively, plant tissue is directly transformed using the vacuum infiltration method described by Beshtold et al. (1993).

The transgenic plants thus produced exhibit a range of phenotypes, partly because of position effects and variable levels of expression of the cellulose synthase transgene.

Cellulose content in the transgenic plants and isogenic untransformed control plants is determined by the ¹⁴C incorporation assay or as acetic/nitric acid insoluble material as described in Example 1. In general, the level of cellulose deposition and rates of cellulose biosynthesis in the transgenic plants are significantly greater than for untransformed control plants.

Furthermore, in some cases, co-supression leads to mimicry of the rsw1 mutant phenotype.

EXAMPLE 15 Site-Directed Mutagenesis of the RSW1 Gene

The nucleotide sequence of the RSW1 gene contained in 23H12 is mutated using site-directed mutagenesis, at several positions to alter its catalytic activity or substrate affinity or glucan properties. In one example, the RSW1 gene is mutated to comprise one or more mutations present in the mutant rsw1 allele.

The mutated genetic sequences are cloned into binary plasmid described in the preceding Examples, in place of the wild-type sequences. Plant tissue obtained from both wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana (Columbia) plants and A. thaliana rsw1 plants is transformed as described herein and whole plants are regenerated.

Control transformations are performed using the wild-type cellulose synthase gene sequence.

EXAMPLE 16 Phenotypes of Plants Expressing Mutated RSW1 Genes

Plants transformed with genetic constructs described in Example 15 (and elsewhere) are categorised initially on the basis of number of transgene copies, to eliminate variability arising therefrom. Plants expressing single copies of different transgenes are analysed further for cell wall components, including cellulose, non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan polymer, starch and carbohydrate content.

1. Cellulose Content

Cellulose content in the transgenic plants is determined by the ¹⁴C incorporation assay as described in Example 1. Cell walls are prepared fractionated and the monosaccharide composition of individual fractions determined as in Example 1.

2. Non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan Content

Transgenic plants expressing the rsw1 mutant allele exhibit a higher level of non-crystalline, and therefore extractable, β-1,4-glucan in cell walls compared to plants expressing an additional copy of the wild-type RSW1 allele. Thus, it is possible to change the crystallinity of the β-1,4-glucan chains present in the cell wall by mutation of the wild-type RSW1 allele.

3. Starch Content

Transgenic plants are also analysed to determine the effect of mutagenesis of the RSW1 gene on the level of starch deposited in their roots. The quantity of starch present in material prepared from the crude wall fraction is determined using the anthrone/H₂SO₄ method described in Example 1. The data show that mutating the RSW1 gene to the mutant rsw1 allele increases starch deposition. This demonstrates that the gene can be used to alter the partitioning of carbon into carbohydrates other than cellulose.

4.Cell Wall Composition

The cell wall composition of transgenic plant material is also analysed. Wild type and rsw1 and transgenic seedlings are grown for 2 d at 21° C. and then kept for a further 5 d at either 21° C. or 31° C. With transfer to 31° C. when the seed has scarcely germinated, the wall composition at final harvest largely reflects the operation of the mutated rsw1 gene product at its restrictive temperature. Cell wall fractionation is carried out in similar fashion to that described for the ¹⁴C-experiment (Example 1) and the monosaccharide composition of each fraction is quantified by GC/MS after hydrolysis with trifluoroacetic acid or, in the case of crystalline cellulose. H₂SO₄.

In some transgenic plants in which the RSW1 gene is mutated, the monosaccharide composition is comparable to that observed for homozygous rsw1 plants, at least in some cases, confirming that there is a major reduction in the quantity of crystalline cellulose in the final, acid insoluble fraction. Thus, mutation of the RSW1 gene can be performed to produce changes in the composition of plant cell walls.

EXAMPLE 17 Chemical Modification of the RSW1 Gene to Manipulate Cellulose Production and Plant Cell Wall Content

As demonstrated in the preceding Examples, the RSW1 gene is involved in cellulose production and the manipulation of cell wall content.

In the present Example, to identify novel phenotypes and gene sequences important for the normal functioning of the cellulose synthase gene, the RSW1 gene is modified in planta, using the chemical mutagen EMS. The mutant plants are identified following germination and the modified RSW1 genes are isolated and characterised at the nucleotide sequence level. A sequence comparison between the mutant gene sequences and the wild type sequence reveals nucleotides which encode amino acids important to the normal catalytic activity of the cellulose synthase enzyme, at least in Arabidopsis thaliana plants.

This approach thus generates further gene sequences of utility in the modification of cellulose content and properties in plants.

EXAMPLE 18 Discussion

Five pieces of evidence make a compelling case that the RSW1 gene product encodes the catalytic subunit of cellulose synthase:

1. The rsw1 mutation selectively inhibits cellulose synthesis and promotes accumulation of a non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan;

2. The rsw1 mutation removes cellulose synthase complexes from the plasma membrane, providing a plausible mechanism for reduced cellulose accumulation and placing the RSW1 product either in the complexes or interacting with them;

3. The D,D,D,QXXRW (SEQ ID NO:37) signature identifies the RSW1 gene product as a processive glycosyl transferase enzyme (Saxena, 1995);

4. The wild type allele corrects the temperature sensitive phenotype of the rsw1 mutant; and

5. Antisense expression of the RSW1 in transgenic plants grown at 21° C. reproduces some of the phenotype of rsw1 which is observed following growth at 31° C.

Consistent with the plasma membrane location expected for a catalytic subunit, the putative 122 kDa RSW1 product contains 8 predicted membrane-spanning regions. Six of these regions cluster near the C-terminus (FIG. 10), separated from the other two by a domain that is probably cytoplasmic and has the weak sequence similarities to prokaryotic glycosyl transferases (Wong, 1990; Saxena, 1990; Matthyse, 1995; Sofia, 1994; Kutish, 1996).

RSW1 therefore qualifies as a member of the large family of Arabidopsis thaliana genes whose members show weak similarities to bacterial cellulose synthase. RSW1 is the first member of that family to be rigorously identified as an authentic cellulose synthase. Among the diverse genes in A. thaliana, at least two genes show very strong sequence similarities to the RSW1 gene and are most likely members of a highly conserved sub-family involved in cellulose synthesis. The closely related sequences come from cosmid 12C4, a partial genomic clone cross-hybridising with EST T20782 designated Ath-A. and from a full length cDNA designated Ath-B.

Ath-A resembles RSW1 (SEQ ID NO:5) at its N-terminus whereas Ath-B starts 22 amino acid residues downstream [FIG. 8 and FIGS. 9(i), (ii) and (iii)]. Closely related sequences in other angiosperms are the rice EST S0542 [FIGS. 9(i), (ii) and (iii)], which resembles the polypeptides encoded by RSW1 and Ath-A and the cotton celA1 gene (Pear, 1996) at the N-terminus.

The Arabidopsis thaliana, rice and cotton genes have regions of very high sequence similarity interspersed with variable regions (FIGS. 9 and 10). Most of the highest conservation among those gene products occurs in their central cytoplasmic domain where the weak similarities to the bacterial cellulose synthase occur. The N-terminal region that precedes the first membrane spanning region is probably also cytoplasmic but shows many amino acid substitutions as well as sequences in RSW1 that have no counterpart in some of the other genes as already noted for celA. An exception to this is a region comprising 7 cysteine residues with highly conserved spacings (FIG. 10). This is reminiscent of regions suggested to mediate protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions in diverse proteins including transcriptional regulators and may account for the striking sequence similarity between this region of RSW1 and two putative soybean bZIP transcription factors (Genbank SOYSTF1A and 1B).

In conclusion, the chemical and ultrastructural changes seen in the cellulose-deficient mutant combine with gene cloning and complementation of the mutant to provide strong evidence that the RSW1 locus encodes the catalytic subunit of cellulose synthase. Accumulation of non-crystalline β-1,4-glucan in the shoot of the rsw1 mutant suggests that properties affected by the mutation are required for glucan chains to assemble into microfibrils. Whilst not being bound by any theory or mode of action, a key property may be the aggregation of catalytic subunits into plasma membrane rosettes. At the restrictive temperature, mutant synthase complexes disassemble to monomers (or smaller oligomers) that are undetectable by freeze etching. At least in the shoot, the monomers seem to remain biosynthetically active but their β-1,4-glucan products fail to crystallise into microfibrils probably because the chains are growing from dispersed sites. Crystallisation into microfibrils, with all its consequences for wall mechanics and morphogenesis, therefore may depend upon catalytic subunits remaining aggregated as plasma membrane rosettes.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications. The invention also includes all of the steps, features, compositions and compounds referred to or indicated in this specification, individually or collectively, and any and all combinations or any two or more of said steps or features.

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37 1 2248 DNA Arabidopsis thaliana CDS (1)..(1887) 1 cga gct atg aag aga gag tat gaa gag ttt aaa gtg agg ata aat gct 48 Arg Ala Met Lys Arg Glu Tyr Glu Glu Phe Lys Val Arg Ile Asn Ala 1 5 10 15 ctt gtt gcc aaa gca cag aaa atc cct gga gaa ggc tgg aca atg cag 96 Leu Val Ala Lys Ala Gln Lys Ile Pro Gly Glu Gly Trp Thr Met Gln 20 25 30 gat ggt act ccc tgg cct ggt aac aac act aga gat cat cct gga atg 144 Asp Gly Thr Pro Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn Thr Arg Asp His Pro Gly Met 35 40 45 ata cag gtg ttc tta ggc cat agt ggg ggt ctg gat acc gat gga aat 192 Ile Gln Val Phe Leu Gly His Ser Gly Gly Leu Asp Thr Asp Gly Asn 50 55 60 gag ctg cct aga ctc atc tat gtt tct cgt gaa aag cgg cct gga ttt 240 Glu Leu Pro Arg Leu Ile Tyr Val Ser Arg Glu Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe 65 70 75 80 caa cac cac aaa aag gct gga gct atg aat gca tcg atc cgt gta tct 288 Gln His His Lys Lys Ala Gly Ala Met Asn Ala Ser Ile Arg Val Ser 85 90 95 gct gtt ctt acc aat gga gca tat ctt ttg aac gtg gat tgt gat cat 336 Ala Val Leu Thr Asn Gly Ala Tyr Leu Leu Asn Val Asp Cys Asp His 100 105 110 tac ttt aat aac agt aag gct att aaa gaa gct atg tgt ttc atg atg 384 Tyr Phe Asn Asn Ser Lys Ala Ile Lys Glu Ala Met Cys Phe Met Met 115 120 125 gac ccg gct att gga aag aag tgc tgc tat gtc cag ttc cct caa cgt 432 Asp Pro Ala Ile Gly Lys Lys Cys Cys Tyr Val Gln Phe Pro Gln Arg 130 135 140 ttt gac ggt att gat ttg cac gat cga tat gcc aac agg aat ata gtc 480 Phe Asp Gly Ile Asp Leu His Asp Arg Tyr Ala Asn Arg Asn Ile Val 145 150 155 160 ttt ttc gat att aac atg aag ggg ttg gat ggt atc cac ggt cca gta 528 Phe Phe Asp Ile Asn Met Lys Gly Leu Asp Gly Ile His Gly Pro Val 165 170 175 tat gtg ggt act ggt tgt tgt ttt aat agg cag gct cta tat ggg tat 576 Tyr Val Gly Thr Gly Cys Cys Phe Asn Arg Gln Ala Leu Tyr Gly Tyr 180 185 190 gat cct gtt ttg acg gaa gaa gat tta gaa cca aat att att gtc aag 624 Asp Pro Val Leu Thr Glu Glu Asp Leu Glu Pro Asn Ile Ile Val Lys 195 200 205 agc tgt tgc ggg tca agg aag aaa ggt aaa agt agc aag aag tat aac 672 Ser Cys Cys Gly Ser Arg Lys Lys Gly Lys Ser Ser Lys Lys Tyr Asn 210 215 220 tac gaa aag agg aga ggc atc aac aga agt gac tcc aat gct cca ctt 720 Tyr Glu Lys Arg Arg Gly Ile Asn Arg Ser Asp Ser Asn Ala Pro Leu 225 230 235 240 ttc aat atg gag gac atc gat gag ggt ttt gaa ggt tat gat gat gag 768 Phe Asn Met Glu Asp Ile Asp Glu Gly Phe Glu Gly Tyr Asp Asp Glu 245 250 255 agg tct att cta atg tcc cag agg agt gta gag aag cgt ttt ggt cag 816 Arg Ser Ile Leu Met Ser Gln Arg Ser Val Glu Lys Arg Phe Gly Gln 260 265 270 tcg ccg gta ttt att gcg gca acc ttc atg gaa caa ggc ggc att cca 864 Ser Pro Val Phe Ile Ala Ala Thr Phe Met Glu Gln Gly Gly Ile Pro 275 280 285 cca aca acc aat ccc gct act ctt ctg aag gag gct att cat gtt ata 912 Pro Thr Thr Asn Pro Ala Thr Leu Leu Lys Glu Ala Ile His Val Ile 290 295 300 agc tgt ggt tac gaa gac aag act gaa tgg ggc aaa gag att ggt tgg 960 Ser Cys Gly Tyr Glu Asp Lys Thr Glu Trp Gly Lys Glu Ile Gly Trp 305 310 315 320 2 629 PRT Arabidopsis thaliana 2 Arg Ala Met Lys Arg Glu Tyr Glu Glu Phe Lys Val Arg Ile Asn Ala 1 5 10 15 Leu Val Ala Lys Ala Gln Lys Ile Pro Gly Glu Gly Trp Thr Met Gln 20 25 30 Asp Gly Thr Pro Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn Thr Arg Asp His Pro Gly Met 35 40 45 Ile Gln Val Phe Leu Gly His Ser Gly Gly Leu Asp Thr Asp Gly Asn 50 55 60 Glu Leu Pro Arg Leu Ile Tyr Val Ser Arg Glu Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe 65 70 75 80 Gln His His Lys Lys Ala Gly Ala Met Asn Ala Ser Ile Arg Val Ser 85 90 95 Ala Val Leu Thr Asn Gly Ala Tyr Leu Leu Asn Val Asp Cys Asp His 100 105 110 Tyr Phe Asn Asn Ser Lys Ala Ile Lys Glu Ala Met Cys Phe Met Met 115 120 125 Asp Pro Ala Ile Gly Lys Lys Cys Cys Tyr Val Gln Phe Pro Gln Arg 130 135 140 Phe Asp Gly Ile Asp Leu His Asp Arg Tyr Ala Asn Arg Asn Ile Val 145 150 155 160 Phe Phe Asp Ile Asn Met Lys Gly Leu Asp Gly Ile His Gly Pro Val 165 170 175 Tyr Val Gly Thr Gly Cys Cys Phe Asn Arg Gln Ala Leu Tyr Gly Tyr 180 185 190 Asp Pro Val Leu Thr Glu Glu Asp Leu Glu Pro Asn Ile Ile Val Lys 195 200 205 Ser Cys Cys Gly Ser Arg Lys Lys Gly Lys Ser Ser Lys Lys Tyr Asn 210 215 220 Tyr Glu Lys Arg Arg Gly Ile Asn Arg Ser Asp Ser Asn Ala Pro Leu 225 230 235 240 Phe Asn Met Glu Asp Ile Asp Glu Gly Phe Glu Gly Tyr Asp Asp Glu 245 250 255 Arg Ser Ile Leu Met Ser Gln Arg Ser Val Glu Lys Arg Phe Gly Gln 260 265 270 Ser Pro Val Phe Ile Ala Ala Thr Phe Met Glu Gln Gly Gly Ile Pro 275 280 285 Pro Thr Thr Asn Pro Ala Thr Leu Leu Lys Glu Ala Ile His Val Ile 290 295 300 Ser Cys Gly Tyr Glu Asp Lys Thr Glu Trp Gly Lys Glu Ile Gly Trp 305 310 315 320 Ile Tyr Gly Ser Val Thr Glu Asp Ile Leu Thr Gly Phe Lys Met His 325 330 335 Ala Arg Gly Trp Ile Ser Ile Tyr Cys Asn Pro Pro Arg Pro Ala Phe 340 345 350 Lys Gly Ser Ala Pro Ile Asn Leu Ser Asp Arg Leu Asn Gln Val Leu 355 360 365 Arg Trp Ala Leu Gly Ser Ile Glu Ile Leu Leu Ser Arg His Cys Pro 370 375 380 Ile Trp Tyr Gly Tyr His Gly Arg Leu Arg Leu Leu Glu Arg Ile Ala 385 390 395 400 Tyr Ile Asn Thr Ile Val Tyr Pro Ile Thr Ser Ile Pro Leu Ile Ala 405 410 415 Tyr Cys Ile Leu Pro Ala Phe Cys Leu Ile Thr Asp Arg Phe Ile Ile 420 425 430 Pro Glu Ile Ser Asn Tyr Ala Ser Ile Trp Phe Ile Leu Leu Phe Ile 435 440 445 Ser Ile Ala Val Thr Gly Ile Leu Lys Leu Lys Trp Asn Gly Val Ser 450 455 460 Ile Glu Asp Trp Trp Arg Asn Asn Gln Phe Trp Val Ile Gly Gly Thr 465 470 475 480 Ser Thr His Leu Phe Ala Val Phe Gln Gly Leu Leu Lys Val Leu Ala 485 490 495 Gly Ile Asn Thr Asn Phe Thr Val Thr Ser Lys Ala Thr Asn Lys Asn 500 505 510 Gly Asp Phe Ala Lys Leu Tyr Ile Phe Lys Trp Thr Ala Leu Leu Ile 515 520 525 Pro Pro Thr Thr Val Leu Leu Val Asn Leu Ile Gly Ile Val Ala Gly 530 535 540 Val Ser Tyr Ala Val Asn Ser Gly Tyr Gln Ser Trp Gly Pro Leu Phe 545 550 555 560 Gly Lys Leu Phe Phe Ala Leu Trp Val Ile Ala His Leu Tyr Pro Phe 565 570 575 Leu Lys Gly Leu Leu Gly Arg Gln Asn Arg Thr Pro Thr Ile Val Ile 580 585 590 Val Trp Ser Val Leu Leu Ala Ser Ile Phe Ser Leu Leu Trp Val Arg 595 600 605 Ile Asn Pro Phe Val Asp Ala Asn Pro Asn Ala Asn Asn Phe Asn Gly 610 615 620 Lys Gly Gly Val Phe 625 3 8411 DNA Arabidopsis thaliana 3 ttagaagaag cctgagccgg agtcctattc aattatctag aagaagtctg agccggagtc 60 ccactcgatt gtctaggaga agcctaagcc ggagtcccat tcgatcacct aggaagagtg 120 tgagcaggag tccagtccga tcatctagga agagtgtgag cagaagtccg gttcgttcat 180 ccaggagacg tatcagcagg agtccagtcc gatcatctag gaagagtgtg agcaggagtc 240 ctattcgatt gtccagaaga agtatcagca ggagtcctat tcgattgtcc aggagaagta 300 tcagcaggag tcctgttaga ggaagaagaa gaattagcag aagtccagtt ccggcaagga 360 gaaggagtgt gcggcctaga tctcctcctc ctgaccgcag aagaagtttg tcaagaagtg 420 cttctcctaa tgggcgcata aggagaggga gaggatttag ccaaagattc tcatacgccc 480 gtcgatacag aactagtcca tctcctgatc gatctcctta tcgctttagt gataggagtg 540 accgtgacag gtgaatagcc cacacataat ataactcccc ctttctgtta cacactctcg 600 tactgaaccg tcttttttat aacgtcttct ctgtagattt agaagtcgca gaaggttctc 660 gccaagtcgg ttcagaagcc cactaagagg aagaacacct ccaaggtact tatcctcttt 720 agtacattgt ttcagctgat tctttacatc taaaagtttc atgaatatgg aactaaaatt 780 ggtgatccaa aagaattatt cttgatttca caactcgaaa gtatgctcag gtatagaaga 840 agaagccgct cagtatcgcc tggtctctgt tatcgcaacc ggcggtacag ccgcagccct 900 atccgtagcc gatctccacc ttacagaaag agaaggtcac catccgctag ccacagcctg 960 agtccatcga ggtcaagatc aagatcaaag tcatattcaa aatctcccat tgggacgggg 1020 aaagcaagat cagtgtcaag atcaccatcc aaggcaaggt ctccatcgaa gtcggattcg 1080 acatcctcgg ataatagccc aggtgggaaa aagggattag tagcctatga ttaatgaata 1140 atgattaccc ttaagttaag tgtttgttct ttttactgag aagagatggt aaagagagta 1200 agtagtttac ttctgtaaaa cataagcatt gtcttttgcg tatgtttgtt tgattatgct 1260 ccaagattgt taaaaatttc tgttgatgtt tgccgacatt ttttctttgt tgccatttgc 1320 cgacaaatgt taacttccat tattcgttgc ggagttggtt ttggtccaat aattaaactt 1380 tcataaaatt aagcataact aaatgtgacg tttgtcacca aactttagaa caacgacatc 1440 gtaatttatt tatttggata atcaatataa tttacgattt cttcctacat atatatcata 1500 tcactatacc accgtcatta tcactatcac taaatataaa aatgttaaaa tgatttctta 1560 atggaatttt ttttgttaaa agtttattga cacaaaaaat gaattaaaac tcagaaatct 1620 gtatactgaa ttaaaacttg taaatataac aacaaaatgg gattaaaaaa agaagtggca 1680 tccatttaaa aattatttgc gaattcgccc gtaacttctt aagctaacaa ttagaaccta 1740 atcaacacta gttattttga gtccaccgac aggtgatagc aaataaaaaa gaacaggctg 1800 gtaccagagc caacaacaac gtggcttctt cttttttttt tttaatataa tcaaacaatc 1860 atactttgtc ctatctcttt cttgcaataa gattttgcca cgtcacatac taagaagctg 1920 gcgcgtctag tggggaagcc agaacggctc actttaaaaa gtagagagat gataacttga 1980 gccgaataga gccgagctga gctaaaacgg tgggagagga agaggctact actaccgtca 2040 ccatctccgg taaaataatg tacttgtcat ttaaaaatta agaaaaaaca catcactctg 2100 cgataaaata ggcaaaagca gatttgaaga agaagcagct tgagatatca aatagagaga 2160 gagagtgaca gaggagtgtg tgaacatcct tttttagtag atttgggttt tcgagatgcc 2220 gtattgaatc ggctacgaat ttcccaattt tgaattttgt gaatctctct ctttctctgt 2280 gtgtcggtgg ctgcgatgga ggccagtgcc ggcttggttg ctggatccta ccggagaaac 2340 gagctcgttc ggatccgaca tgaatctgat ggcggggtct gttcatcttc cctttttccc 2400 atttttttgt tattgttttt cgttcttaca atttttgatg tgtagatctc atctagattt 2460 ctctgtttct aaatctcgtc tcttttggat ccataattgg atcattgaaa ctcagatttc 2520 gcttcctttg actgtgtagt tagttagtgt cagttgatca agtaagtgtc tgaaaatgga 2580 aacttttctg ctccaattct tcaaattgtt gtgatctata tcaattaatg ccgcatctgt 2640 tttcttaaaa tctcttatgg aaagtgtcgg tggatttcag ttcgttaact tttttaagct 2700 aaaatctttg actcttaaag tttagcttta cttattgaga tttagctcaa ctagatctcg 2760 ttagttcccg ccatgggata cagactgtga ctcgccttaa ttcagatctg cattgattgt 2820 tttgatttag atccttgctc atctctttct gtagtttcta atactcaatg actaacaatg 2880 atgcaatgtt ggtcaaagtg cagaccaaac ctttgaagaa tatgaatggc cagatatgtc 2940 agatctgtgg tgatgatgtt ggactcgctg aaactggaga tgtctttgtc gcgtgtaatg 3000 aatgtgcctt ccctgtgtgt cggccttgct atgagtacga gaggaaagat ggaactcagt 3060 gttgccctca atgcaagact agattcagac gacacagggg tcagttgtct ttttcttttt 3120 gttggcaatt gctatatatg gattttctct ttttgtttct ttgctgttgt gttgaacaat 3180 tttttggaat tttccaggga gtcctcgtgt tgaaggagat gaagatgagg atgatgttga 3240 tgatatcgag aatgagttca attacgccca gggagctaac aaggcgagac accaacgcca 3300 tggcgaagag ttttcttctt cctctagaca tgaatctcaa ccaattcctc ttctcaccca 3360 tggccatacg gtagggacct acattttccc tttagactct agagtgattt gtattactca 3420 ataaatccct agagtggtca tttattactt actattcacg ttaatgttat atgtgaacaa 3480 atcttaacag aatttttttc tgatagtaca tggtcatcca aattaagaaa taataataga 3540 tgttgttagt tgtgtctgtt ttcaatagat tcatgacctt tttctataca caggtttctg 3600 gagagattcg cacgcctgat acacaatctg tgcgaactac atcaggtcct ttgggtcctt 3660 ctgacaggaa tgctatttca tctccatata ttgatccacg gcaacctggt attcatatgt 3720 ttttcccttg tgcacgtggt ctttgttaaa tgtgattcct attcattttt acaacatata 3780 tattttgtgt accgtaactg atagctcccg ctaaaaattg cagtccctgt aagaatcgtg 3840 gacccgtcaa aagacttgaa ctcttatggg cttggtaatg ttgactggaa agaaagagtt 3900 gaaggctgga agctgaagca ggagaaaaat atgttacaga tgactggtaa ataccatgaa 3960 gggaaaggag gagaaattga agggactggt tccaatggcg aagaactcca aatgtaagtg 4020 gaaatactag accaatatct ttattgtcca actcaaacag ctcttggccg tgatgctaat 4080 aaccactctt ggtttcttat tatgtattga tagacataat taagtatctg ctttgttaca 4140 tttgtttcct tccactcaat tatggttctc gtacttacag ggctgatgat acacgtcttc 4200 ctatgagtcg tgtggtgcct atcccatctt ctcgcctaac cccttatcgg gttgtgatta 4260 ttctccggct tatcatcttg tgtttcttct tgcaatatcg tacaactcac cctgtgaaaa 4320 atgcatatcc tttgtggttg acctcggtta tctgtgagat ctggtttgca ttttcttggc 4380 ttcttgatca gtttcccaaa tggtacccca ttaacaggga gacttatctt gaccgtctcg 4440 ctataaggtt ggtctttaag tttatacatc ccctactctc atctctcttt tatgtattaa 4500 cttgatatct tctatcacag ttttcgatag ttgacttttt ccccctgtaa atttaattta 4560 aatttagaca atggtgcatc tgaattttga ttatgatata tcttaagaag attatgattg 4620 taaatcttga aatttagtag aaaaccatct gcaatctact gaccatgtga agtttccgac 4680 tagactatga tagaagcatg ccaagtggag tgtttattaa gatagagctt agctattata 4740 ctgattttat atgtgttttg attttttggt ttcttattgt agatatgatc gagacggtga 4800 accatcacag ctcgttcctg ttgatgtgtt tgttagtaca gtggacccat tgaaagagcc 4860 tccccttgtt acagcaaaca cagttctctc gattctttct gtggactacc cggtagataa 4920 agtagcctgt tatgtttcag atgatggttc agctatgctt acctttgaat ccctttctga 4980 aaccgctgag tttgcaaaga aatgggtacc attttgcaag aaattcaaca ttgaacctag 5040 ggcccctgaa ttctattttg cccagaagat agattacttg aaggacaaga tccaaccgtc 5100 ttttgttaaa gagcgacgag ctatgaaggt catttgaaaa gtccacctgc ttctcatcca 5160 tacggcaaag agattgactg actttttctt tggtttgtat tgacagagag agtatgaaga 5220 gtttaaagtg aggataaatg ctcttgttgc caaagcacag aaaatccctg aagaaggctg 5280 gacaatgcag gatggtactc cctggcctgg taacaacact agagatcatc ctggaatgat 5340 acaggtacag tgtggcaatc ccttgattgt gacagagagg ataacgtaaa ggaaacatgt 5400 ttacatcgtt ttgtttcaat ttcaggtgtt cttaggccat agtgggggtc tggataccga 5460 tggaaatgag ctgcctagac tcatctatgt ttctcgtgaa aagcggcctg gatttcaaca 5520 ccacaaaaag gctggagcta tgaatgcatt ggtttgttaa ctttcagaat cctattgtgt 5580 cctctatttt attctcttgt tcactgccta agaaacgttc ttcttgtgta gccgttgctt 5640 cacattcttt tttttctagg ctatgtgttc tctcctaatt tagtatctct ttactttgac 5700 agatccgtgt atctgctgtt cttaccaatg gagcatatct tttgaacgtg gattgtgatc 5760 attactttaa taacagtaag gctattaaag aagctatgtg tttcatgatg gacccggcta 5820 ttggaaagaa gtgctgctat gtccagttcc ctcaacgttt tgacggtatt gatttgcacg 5880 atcgatatgc caacaggaat atagtctttt tcgatgtgag tatcacttcc ccattgtctt 5940 ttgtttctct tttgttcata ttttggttgg atttactcgt ttctgctatg gcctgacttg 6000 gatatttgtt ctcttgggca gattaacatg aaggggttgg atggtatcca gggtccagta 6060 tatgtgggta ctggttgttg ttttaatagg caggctctat atgggtatga tcctgttttg 6120 acggaagaag atttagaacc aaatattatt gtcaagagct gttgcgggtc aaggaagaaa 6180 ggtaaaagta gcaagaagta taactacgaa aagaggagag gcatcaacag aagtgactcc 6240 aatgctccac ttttcaatat ggaggacatc gatgagggtt ttgaaggttt gattgagctg 6300 attgtgtaat aacatcactt ctttatgtaa tgatttatgt gatggtgaaa tcttacaatc 6360 cttgtttatg caggttatga tgatgagagg tctattctaa tgtcccagag gagtgtagag 6420 aagcgttttg gtcagtcgcc ggtatttatt gcggcaacct tcatggaaca aggcggcatt 6480 ccaccaacaa ccaatcccgc tactcttctg aaggaggcta ttcatgttat aagctgtggt 6540 tacgaagaca agactgaatg gggcaaagag gtcagttttc aaatgcagct acagaatctt 6600 cttatgttct ctttcttacc tgtttgatga catcttattt ggcacttttg ttagattggt 6660 tggatctatg gttccgtgac ggaagatatt cttactgggt tcaagatgca tgcccggggt 6720 tggatatcga tctactgcaa tcctccacgc cctgcgttca agggatctgc accaatcaat 6780 ctttctgatc gtttgaacca agttcttcga tgggctttgg gatctatcga gattcttctt 6840 agcagacatt gtcctatctg gtatggttac catggaaggt tgagactttt ggagaggatc 6900 gcttatatca acaccatcgt ctatcctatt acatccatcc ctcttattgc gtattgtatt 6960 cttcccgctt tttgtctcat caccgacaga ttcatcatac ccgaggtttg taaaactgac 7020 cacactgcta tttactattt gaatcccatt ttgtgaatgc atttttttgt catcatcatt 7080 gttgcagata agcaactacg cgagtatttg gttcattcta ctcttcatct caattgctgt 7140 gactggaatc ctggagctga gatggagcgg tgtgagcatt gaggattggt ggaggaacga 7200 gcagttctgg gtcattggtg gcacatccgc ccatcttttt gctgtcttcc aaggtctact 7260 taaggttctt gctggtatcg acaccaactt caccgttaca tctaaagcca cagacgaaga 7320 tggggatttt gcagaactct acatcttcaa atggacagct cttctcattc caccaaccac 7380 cgtcctactt gtgaacctca taggcattgt ggctggtgtc tcttatgctg taaacagtgg 7440 ctaccagtcg tggggtccgc ttttcgggaa gctcttcttc gccttatggg ttattgccca 7500 tctctaccct ttcttgaaag gtctgttggg aagacaaaac cgaacaccaa ccatcgtcat 7560 tgtctggtct gttcttctcg cctccatctt ctcgttgctt tgggtcagga tcaatccctt 7620 tgtggacgcc aatcccaatg ccaacaactt caatggcaaa ggaggtgtct tttagaccct 7680 atttatatac ttgtgtgtgc atatatcaaa aacgcgcaat gggaattcca aatcatctaa 7740 acccatcaaa ccccagtgaa ccgggcagtt aaggtgattc catgtccaag attagctttc 7800 tccgagtagc cagagaaggt gaaattgttc gtaacactat tgtaatgatt ttccagtggg 7860 gaagaagatg tggacccaaa tgatacatag tctacaaaaa gaatttgtta ttctttctta 7920 tatttatttt atttaaagct tgttagactc acacttatgt aatgttggaa cttgttgtcc 7980 taaaaaggga ttggagtttt ctttttatct aagaatctga agtttatatg ctaagctttt 8040 cactttacta caaaaagttt atggatatga tggtgtacgt caattgttgg tgcaagtgtt 8100 gatgtcttcg ggtgaactcg ccctcttgtt ttgtctcacc catcagtaca aatagaatga 8160 catttatttt tttgaacttt taacgaaatc tttgtcatta tgggacttga tcagtaaagt 8220 tacatatttg aagagatatt gtgtaaactc ttatttgaat cagaatcaga tcaatcaaaa 8280 attgaaaacg taaagttcaa acaaaaaggt agagtgaatc ttttaatccc ccctcaatac 8340 taatttgtga aatctcaagt ggtgtaaaat gaacccaatt agtatccaca atgtgtttct 8400 ctgatcaatc c 8411 4 5009 DNA Arabidopsis thaliana misc_feature (1)..(5009) N is A, T, G or C. 4 aaggaataat aagatagggg tttaatggga gacaatcaat cttcaggggt tttctggaan 60 aacggcgggg taaaaaacaa gacatcaatc ggacccgatc acgaggaccc ggatccgnat 120 cgataaacag ngtagctttc aataccccat tttcccagaa acacctctca aaaatttttt 180 caagaactng tataaatatc tcagtttcgt tcacgcaggt ctttnttatt ttggnaantc 240 tntnttcatn gttcaccaac tccctcttga aggtgggaca gagtccagct ccaccaccac 300 catagccatc gcgtcgtttt ctccgggacc cacttatttc gtgacgtttc tctctttgta 360 tatacataca attgttttca gtctcaattt gctgtccaca ttttaacaca actctatctc 420 aggggtggtg tctgaatctc gtctctctca ttcctattta tcccaatcta atctatcaca 480 aacccttcca cattgctttt gtcagtctgt aaaattctct ttgaatcagt gaatcactca 540 cttaaatcca aaacagtttt tttttctttc tttctttatt tgcttgttgt ggaatcaata 600 gctgtctccg ggaaaattcg ttttttttct ccttcgggat ctcttttttt ttttttttgg 660 ttttatttaa taattatccc cgagccaaca tttattgtcg attcggttta tttcgtctcc 720 ttcgtcttcc actcttacta gtgcatgctc tgaatctgta tgtaatggga gttcaacagt 780 ctggatccat tatcctagcc gggtcgggtc aaggtctttg agtaagagag acaattcgtt 840 ttgattcggt gtagaagaca tcatgaatac tggtggtcgg ctcattgctg gctctcacaa 900 cagaaacgaa ttcgttctca ttaacgccga tgagagtgcc agagtaagaa taacttttgt 960 angaatttgt gacggaaaaa agtttaattt tttctctttc ttggggatct agattatgag 1020 aatctagatg gaatattttg atctgaaatt ggaagtttct agggagtaat gccgcaaccc 1080 acatgttctg ttttttcttt tttcttttct tcaagtagtg ttgcatgatt catacgtgtc 1140 ggcagagatg tcctgagaac cgaattcaat gttgtagcag tagcaataag ttcaaagaaa 1200 gtccattttt ttatattact aattctgttc ttggtttatt tgagctggtc tttattgcat 1260 ttcacctgga ttcagatact aataactgtc tcaattatgt aaaaatgaca actttatgaa 1320 attcagtttc acaattatgt aattcataat cgatgaatgt ttttcttgag tctttatcat 1380 ctttaggatt tgattaagat gcaatttgat gaaaatacta aaaagactca tgtgttctca 1440 tttctctatg tagatacgat cagtacaaga actgagtggg caaacatgtc aaatctgtgg 1500 agatgaaatc gaattaacgg ttagcagtga gctctttgtt gcttgcaacg aatgcgcatt 1560 cccggtttgt agaccatgct atgagtatga acgtagagaa ggaaatcaag cttgtcctca 1620 gtgcaaaact cgatacaaaa ggattaaagg tagtccacgg gttgatggag atgatgaaga 1680 agaagaagac attgatgatc ttgagtatga gtttgatcat gggatggacc ctgaacatgc 1740 cgctgaagcc gcactctctt cacgccttaa caccggtcgt ggtggattgg attcagctcc 1800 acctggctct cagattcctc ttttgactta ttgtgatgaa gtgaggaatc caaattgttt 1860 gttttctctg acaatgttgt tgcttagatg attctttttc ttattagtct atgtgttttc 1920 aggatgctga tatgtattct gatcgtcatg ctcttatcgt gcctccttca acgggatatg 1980 ggaatcgcgt ctatcctgca ccgtttacag attcttctgc acctcgtatg tgtttacttt 2040 tatgattcct acaatttttc ttcttatatg atttggtcac cttctaatga gttatgaaat 2100 ggttttgttt gttgttttca gcacaggcga gatcaatggt tcctcagaaa gatattgcgg 2160 aatatggtta tggaagtgtt gcttggaagg accgtatgga agtttggaag agacgacaag 2220 gcgaaaagct tcaagtcatt aagcatgaag gaggaaacaa tggtcgaggt tccaatgatg 2280 acgacgaact agatgatcct gacatgccta tgtaagttgt taaaatctaa caaaagttca 2340 gatgaaatga tgctctgaaa ttttgtgttc aatggntttg ttttcttatt gttgtttaaa 2400 catttttcgt gctaattcag gatggatgaa ggaagacaac ctctctcaag aaagctacct 2460 attcgttcaa gcagaataaa tccttacagg atgttaattc tgtgtcgcct cgcgattctt 2520 ggtcttttct ttcattatag aattctccat ccagtcaatg atgcatatgg attatggtta 2580 acgtcagtta tatgcgagat atggtttgca gtgtcttgga ttcttgatca attccccaaa 2640 tggtatccta tagaacgtga aacatacctc gatagactct ctctcaggta acataaaccc 2700 tgaaaagttc ttgtctgcaa atattcattt tttacattcc caaaaatttt tgaaactcta 2760 tttttcttac ataaggtacg agaaggaagg aaaaccgtca ggattagcac ctgttgatgt 2820 ttttgttagt acagtggatc cgttgaaaga gccacccttg attacagcaa acacagttct 2880 ttccattcta gcagttgatt atcctgtgga taaggttgcg tgttatgtat caaacaatgg 2940 tgcagctatg cttacatttg aagctctctc tgatacagct gagtttgcta gaaaatgggt 3000 tcctttttgt aagaagttta atatcgagcc acgagctcct gagtggtatt tttctcagaa 3060 gatggattac ctgaagaaca aagttcatcc tgcttttgtc agggaacgtc gtgctatgaa 3120 ggttttcttt gctgcttttt ctctttctga gtatatccta tcataaaagt gttgtttcaa 3180 gaatctgatt tacgtttttt gcttgtttgt ttgttgcaga gagattatga ggagtttaaa 3240 gtgaagataa atgcactggt tgctactgca cagaaagtgc ctgaggaagg ttggactatg 3300 caagatggaa ctccttggcc tggaaacaac gtccgtgacc atcctggaat gattcaggta 3360 atgatgagtt tgattgaata ggcaaaaaaa aagcggtttt tgtcctcttc actttgtttc 3420 cctggatctg ttaaattgga atgagcactc tacttctcaa tatatcttca gaccgaagcc 3480 tttttaagag attttgtaaa tgacaggtgt tcttgggtca tagtggagtt cgtgatacgg 3540 atggtaatga gttaccacgt ctagtgtatg tttctcgtga gaagcggcct ggatttgatc 3600 accacaagaa agctggagct atgaattcct tggtaagtat aatgtgtttc tttatttatg 3660 aatctctctt ttcggagccc tgacttctca taaactaaaa ctcatcttac ttcttcttga 3720 agatccgagt ctctgctgtt ctatcaaacg ctccttacct tcttaatgtc gattgtgatc 3780 actacatcaa caacagcaaa gcaattagag aatctatgtg tttcatgatg gacccgcaat 3840 cgggaaagaa agtttgttat gttcagtttc cgcagagatt tgatgggatt gatagacatg 3900 atagatactc aaaccgtaac gttgtgttct ttgatgtatg tgtccttatc tcttttgctt 3960 tgtttctgtt tatgttttag tgcttttcct cttttctcat ttgatattgt tttggtgtgg 4020 aaacagatta acatgaaagg tcttgatggg atacaaggac cgatatatgt cgggacaggt 4080 tgtgtgttta gaaaacaggc tctttatggt tttgatgcac caaagaagaa gaaaccacca 4140 ggcaaaacct gtaactgttg gcctaaatgg tgttgtttgt gttgtgggtt gagaaagaag 4200 agtaaaacga aagccaaaga taagaaaact aacactaaag agacttcaaa gcagattcat 4260 gcgctagaga atgtcgacga aggtgttatc gtcccaggta aaaaaagaag gaaaaaaaaa 4320 acatttctta tttggtttct gtcttgttga aagtctaagt agatcctttt gattgttagt 4380 gtcaaatgtt gagaagagat ctgaagcaac acaattgaaa ttggagaaga agtttggaca 4440 atctccggtt ttcgttgcct ctgctgttct acagaacggt ggagttcccc gtaacgcaag 4500 ccccgcatgt ttgttaagag aagccattca agttattagc tgcgggtacg aagataaaac 4560 cgaatgggga aaagaggtag aaaacattac aaagtttttc aacttctgaa aactagaaaa 4620 gttcttgtga tctcattctt gctgataatc acacgcagat cgggtggatt tatggatcgg 4680 tgactgaaga tatcctgacg ggtttcaaga tgcattgcca tggatggaga tctgtgtact 4740 gtatgcctaa gcgtgcagct tttaaaggat ctgctcctat taacttgtca gatcgtcttc 4800 atcaagttct acgttgggct cttggctctg tagagatttt cttgagcaga cattgtccga 4860 tatggtatgg ttatggtggt ggtttaaaat ggttggagag attctcttac atcaactctg 4920 tcgtctatcc ttggacttca cttccattga tcgtctattg ttctctcccc gcggtttgtt 4980 tactcacagg aaaattcatc gtccctgag 5009 5 3603 DNA Arabidopsis thaliana CDS (1)..(3243) 5 atg gag gcc agt gcc ggc ttg gtt gct gga tcc tac cgg aga aac gag 48 Met Glu Ala Ser Ala Gly Leu Val Ala Gly Ser Tyr Arg Arg Asn Glu 1 5 10 15 ctc gtt cgg atc cga cat gaa tct gat ggc ggg acc aaa cct ttg aag 96 Leu Val Arg Ile Arg His Glu Ser Asp Gly Gly Thr Lys Pro Leu Lys 20 25 30 aat atg aat ggc cag ata tgt cag atc tgt ggt gat gat gtt gga ctc 144 Asn Met Asn Gly Gln Ile Cys Gln Ile Cys Gly Asp Asp Val Gly Leu 35 40 45 gct gaa act gga gat gtc ttt gtc gcg tgt aat gaa tgt gcc ttc cct 192 Ala Glu Thr Gly Asp Val Phe Val Ala Cys Asn Glu Cys Ala Phe Pro 50 55 60 gtg tgt cgg cct tgc tat gag tac gag agg aaa gat gga act cag tgt 240 Val Cys Arg Pro Cys Tyr Glu Tyr Glu Arg Lys Asp Gly Thr Gln Cys 65 70 75 80 tgc cct caa tgc aag act aga ttc aga cga cac agg ggg agt cct cgt 288 Cys Pro Gln Cys Lys Thr Arg Phe Arg Arg His Arg Gly Ser Pro Arg 85 90 95 gtt gaa gga gat gaa gat gag gat gat gtt gat gat atc gag aat gag 336 Val Glu Gly Asp Glu Asp Glu Asp Asp Val Asp Asp Ile Glu Asn Glu 100 105 110 ttc aat tac gcc cag gga gct aac aag gcg aga cac caa cgc cat ggc 384 Phe Asn Tyr Ala Gln Gly Ala Asn Lys Ala Arg His Gln Arg His Gly 115 120 125 gaa gag ttt tct tct tcc tct aga cat gaa tct caa cca att cct ctt 432 Glu Glu Phe Ser Ser Ser Ser Arg His Glu Ser Gln Pro Ile Pro Leu 130 135 140 ctc acc cat ggc cat acg gtt tct gga gag att cgc acg cct gat aca 480 Leu Thr His Gly His Thr Val Ser Gly Glu Ile Arg Thr Pro Asp Thr 145 150 155 160 caa tct gtg cga act aca tca ggt cct ttg ggt cct tct gac agg aat 528 Gln Ser Val Arg Thr Thr Ser Gly Pro Leu Gly Pro Ser Asp Arg Asn 165 170 175 gct att tca tct cca tat att gat cca cgg caa cct gtc cct gta aga 576 Ala Ile Ser Ser Pro Tyr Ile Asp Pro Arg Gln Pro Val Pro Val Arg 180 185 190 atc gtg gac ccg tca aaa gac ttg aac tct tat ggg ctt ggt aat gtt 624 Ile Val Asp Pro Ser Lys Asp Leu Asn Ser Tyr Gly Leu Gly Asn Val 195 200 205 gac tgg aaa gaa aga gtt gaa ggc tgg aag ctg aag cag gag aaa aat 672 Asp Trp Lys Glu Arg Val Glu Gly Trp Lys Leu Lys Gln Glu Lys Asn 210 215 220 atg tta cag atg act ggt aaa tac cat gaa ggg aaa gga gga gaa att 720 Met Leu Gln Met Thr Gly Lys Tyr His Glu Gly Lys Gly Gly Glu Ile 225 230 235 240 gaa ggg act ggt tcc aat ggc gaa gaa ctc caa atg gct gat gat aca 768 Glu Gly Thr Gly Ser Asn Gly Glu Glu Leu Gln Met Ala Asp Asp Thr 245 250 255 cgt ctt cct atg agt cgt gtg gtg cct atc cca tct tct cgc cta acc 816 Arg Leu Pro Met Ser Arg Val Val Pro Ile Pro Ser Ser Arg Leu Thr 260 265 270 cct tat cgg gtt gtg att att ctc cgg ctt atc atc ttg tgt ttc ttc 864 Pro Tyr Arg Val Val Ile Ile Leu Arg Leu Ile Ile Leu Cys Phe Phe 275 280 285 ttg caa tat cgt aca act cac cct gtg aaa aat gca tat cct ttg tgg 912 Leu Gln Tyr Arg Thr Thr His Pro Val Lys Asn Ala Tyr Pro Leu Trp 290 295 300 ttg acc tcg gtt atc tgt gag atc tgg ttt gca ttt tct tgg ctt ctt 960 Leu Thr Ser Val Ile Cys Glu Ile Trp Phe Ala Phe Ser Trp Leu Leu 305 310 315 320 gat cag ttt ccc aaa tgg tac ccc att aac agg gag act tat ctt gac 1008 Asp Gln Phe Pro Lys Trp Tyr Pro Ile Asn Arg Glu Thr Tyr Leu Asp 325 330 335 cgt ctc gct ata aga tat gat cga gac ggt gaa cca tca cag ctc gtt 1056 Arg Leu Ala Ile Arg Tyr Asp Arg Asp Gly Glu Pro Ser Gln Leu Val 340 345 350 cct gtt gat gtg ttt gtt agt aca gtg gac cca ttg aaa gag cct ccc 1104 Pro Val Asp Val Phe Val Ser Thr Val Asp Pro Leu Lys Glu Pro Pro 355 360 365 ctt gtt aca gca aac aca gtt ctc tcg att ctt tct gtg gac tac ccg 1152 Leu Val Thr Ala Asn Thr Val Leu Ser Ile Leu Ser Val Asp Tyr Pro 370 375 380 gta gat aaa gta gcc tgt tat gtt tca gat gat ggt tca gct atg ctt 1200 Val Asp Lys Val Ala Cys Tyr Val Ser Asp Asp Gly Ser Ala Met Leu 385 390 395 400 acc ttt gaa tcc ctt tct gaa acc gct gag ttt gca aag aaa tgg gta 1248 Thr Phe Glu Ser Leu Ser Glu Thr Ala Glu Phe Ala Lys Lys Trp Val 405 410 415 cca ttt tgc aag aaa ttc aac att gaa cct agg gcc cct gaa ttc tat 1296 Pro Phe Cys Lys Lys Phe Asn Ile Glu Pro Arg Ala Pro Glu Phe Tyr 420 425 430 ttt gcc cag aag ata gat tac ttg aag gac aag atc caa ccg tct ttt 1344 Phe Ala Gln Lys Ile Asp Tyr Leu Lys Asp Lys Ile Gln Pro Ser Phe 435 440 445 gtt aaa gag cga cga gct atg aag aga gag tat gaa gag ttt aaa gtg 1392 Val Lys Glu Arg Arg Ala Met Lys Arg Glu Tyr Glu Glu Phe Lys Val 450 455 460 agg ata aat gct ctt gtt gcc aaa gca cag aaa atc cct gaa gaa ggc 1440 Arg Ile Asn Ala Leu Val Ala Lys Ala Gln Lys Ile Pro Glu Glu Gly 465 470 475 480 tgg aca atg cag gat ggt act ccc tgg cct ggt aac aac act aga gat 1488 Trp Thr Met Gln Asp Gly Thr Pro Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn Thr Arg Asp 485 490 495 cat cct gga atg ata cag gtg ttc tta ggc cat agt ggg ggt ctg gat 1536 His Pro Gly Met Ile Gln Val Phe Leu Gly His Ser Gly Gly Leu Asp 500 505 510 acc gat gga aat gag ctg cct aga ctc atc tat gtt tct cgt gaa aag 1584 Thr Asp Gly Asn Glu Leu Pro Arg Leu Ile Tyr Val Ser Arg Glu Lys 515 520 525 cgg cct gga ttt caa cac cac aaa aag gct gga gct atg aat gca ttg 1632 Arg Pro Gly Phe Gln His His Lys Lys Ala Gly Ala Met Asn Ala Leu 530 535 540 atc cgt gta tct gct gtt ctt acc aat gga gca tat ctt ttg aac gtg 1680 Ile Arg Val Ser Ala Val Leu Thr Asn Gly Ala Tyr Leu Leu Asn Val 545 550 555 560 gat tgt gat cat tac ttt aat aac agt aag gct att aaa gaa gct atg 1728 Asp Cys Asp His Tyr Phe Asn Asn Ser Lys Ala Ile Lys Glu Ala Met 565 570 575 tgt ttc atg atg gac ccg gct att gga aag aag tgc tgc tat gtc cag 1776 Cys Phe Met Met Asp Pro Ala Ile Gly Lys Lys Cys Cys Tyr Val Gln 580 585 590 ttc cct caa cgt ttt gac ggt att gat ttg cac gat cga tat gcc aac 1824 Phe Pro Gln Arg Phe Asp Gly Ile Asp Leu His Asp Arg Tyr Ala Asn 595 600 605 agg aat ata gtc ttt ttc gat att aac atg aag ggg ttg gat ggt atc 1872 Arg Asn Ile Val Phe Phe Asp Ile Asn Met Lys Gly Leu Asp Gly Ile 610 615 620 cag ggt cca gta tat gtg ggt act ggt tgt tgt ttt aat agg cag gct 1920 Gln Gly Pro Val Tyr Val Gly Thr Gly Cys Cys Phe Asn Arg Gln Ala 625 630 635 640 cta tat ggg tat gat cct gtt ttg acg gaa gaa gat tta gaa cca aat 1968 Leu Tyr Gly Tyr Asp Pro Val Leu Thr Glu Glu Asp Leu Glu Pro Asn 645 650 655 att att gtc aag agc tgt tgc ggg tca agg aag aaa ggt aaa agt agc 2016 Ile Ile Val Lys Ser Cys Cys Gly Ser Arg Lys Lys Gly Lys Ser Ser 660 665 670 aag aag tat aac tac gaa aag agg aga ggc atc aac aga agt gac tcc 2064 Lys Lys Tyr Asn Tyr Glu Lys Arg Arg Gly Ile Asn Arg Ser Asp Ser 675 680 685 aat gct cca ctt ttc aat atg gag gac atc gat gag ggt ttt gaa ggt 2112 Asn Ala Pro Leu Phe Asn Met Glu Asp Ile Asp Glu Gly Phe Glu Gly 690 695 700 tat gat gat gag agg tct att cta atg tcc cag agg agt gta gag aag 2160 Tyr Asp Asp Glu Arg Ser Ile Leu Met Ser Gln Arg Ser Val Glu Lys 705 710 715 720 cgt ttt ggt cag tcg ccg gta ttt att gcg gca acc ttc atg gaa caa 2208 Arg Phe Gly Gln Ser Pro Val Phe Ile Ala Ala Thr Phe Met Glu Gln 725 730 735 ggc ggc att cca cca aca acc aat ccc gct act ctt ctg aag gag gct 2256 Gly Gly Ile Pro Pro Thr Thr Asn Pro Ala Thr Leu Leu Lys Glu Ala 740 745 750 att cat gtt ata agc tgt ggt tac gaa gac aag act gaa tgg ggc aaa 2304 Ile His Val Ile Ser Cys Gly Tyr Glu Asp Lys Thr Glu Trp Gly Lys 755 760 765 gag att ggt tgg atc tat ggt tcc gtg acg gaa gat att ctt act ggg 2352 Glu Ile Gly Trp Ile Tyr Gly Ser Val Thr Glu Asp Ile Leu Thr Gly 770 775 780 ttc aag atg cat gcc cgg ggt tgg ata tcg atc tac tgc aat cct cca 2400 Phe Lys Met His Ala Arg Gly Trp Ile Ser Ile Tyr Cys Asn Pro Pro 785 790 795 800 cgc cct gcg ttc aag gga tct gca cca atc aat ctt tct gat cgt ttg 2448 Arg Pro Ala Phe Lys Gly Ser Ala Pro Ile Asn Leu Ser Asp Arg Leu 805 810 815 aac caa gtt ctt cga tgg gct ttg gga tct atc gag att ctt ctt agc 2496 Asn Gln Val Leu Arg Trp Ala Leu Gly Ser Ile Glu Ile Leu Leu Ser 820 825 830 aga cat tgt cct atc tgg tat ggt tac cat gga agg ttg aga ctt ttg 2544 Arg His Cys Pro Ile Trp Tyr Gly Tyr His Gly Arg Leu Arg Leu Leu 835 840 845 gag agg atc gct tat atc aac acc atc gtc tat cct att aca tcc atc 2592 Glu Arg Ile Ala Tyr Ile Asn Thr Ile Val Tyr Pro Ile Thr Ser Ile 850 855 860 cct ctt att gcg tat tgt att ctt ccc gct ttt tgt ctc atc acc gac 2640 Pro Leu Ile Ala Tyr Cys Ile Leu Pro Ala Phe Cys Leu Ile Thr Asp 865 870 875 880 aga ttc atc ata ccc gag ata agc aac tac gcg agt att tgg ttc att 2688 Arg Phe Ile Ile Pro Glu Ile Ser Asn Tyr Ala Ser Ile Trp Phe Ile 885 890 895 cta ctc ttc atc tca att gct gtg act gga atc ctg gag ctg aga tgg 2736 Leu Leu Phe Ile Ser Ile Ala Val Thr Gly Ile Leu Glu Leu Arg Trp 900 905 910 agc ggt gtg agc att gag gat tgg tgg agg aac gag cag ttc tgg gtc 2784 Ser Gly Val Ser Ile Glu Asp Trp Trp Arg Asn Glu Gln Phe Trp Val 915 920 925 att ggt ggc aca tcc gcc cat ctt ttt gct gtc ttc caa ggt cta ctt 2832 Ile Gly Gly Thr Ser Ala His Leu Phe Ala Val Phe Gln Gly Leu Leu 930 935 940 aag gtt ctt gct ggt atc gac acc aac ttc acc gtt aca tct aaa gcc 2880 Lys Val Leu Ala Gly Ile Asp Thr Asn Phe Thr Val Thr Ser Lys Ala 945 950 955 960 aca gac gaa gat ggg gat ttt gca gaa ctc tac atc ttc aaa tgg aca 2928 Thr Asp Glu Asp Gly Asp Phe Ala Glu Leu Tyr Ile Phe Lys Trp Thr 965 970 975 gct ctt ctc att cca cca acc acc gtc cta ctt gtg aac ctc ata ggc 2976 Ala Leu Leu Ile Pro Pro Thr Thr Val Leu Leu Val Asn Leu Ile Gly 980 985 990 att gtg gct ggt gtc tct tat gct gta aac agt ggc tac cag tcg tgg 3024 Ile Val Ala Gly Val Ser Tyr Ala Val Asn Ser Gly Tyr Gln Ser Trp 995 1000 1005 ggt ccg ctt ttc ggg aag ctc ttc ttc gcc tta tgg gtt att gcc cat 3072 Gly Pro Leu Phe Gly Lys Leu Phe Phe Ala Leu Trp Val Ile Ala His 1010 1015 1020 ctc tac cct ttc ttg aaa ggt ctg ttg gga aga caa aac cga aca cca 3120 Leu Tyr Pro Phe Leu Lys Gly Leu Leu Gly Arg Gln Asn Arg Thr Pro 1025 1030 1035 1040 acc atc gtc att gtc tgg tct gtt ctt ctc gcc tcc atc ttc tcg ttg 3168 Thr Ile Val Ile Val Trp Ser Val Leu Leu Ala Ser Ile Phe Ser Leu 1045 1050 1055 ctt tgg gtc agg atc aat ccc ttt gtg gac gcc aat ccc aat gcc aac 3216 Leu Trp Val Arg Ile Asn Pro Phe Val Asp Ala Asn Pro Asn Ala Asn 1060 1065 1070 aac ttc aat ggc aaa gga ggt gtc ttt tagaccctat ttatatactt 3263 Asn Phe Asn Gly Lys Gly Gly Val Phe 1075 1080 gtgtgtgcat atatcaaaaa cgcgcaatgg gaattccaaa tcatctaaac ccatcaaacc 3323 ccagtgaacc gggcagttaa ggtgattcca tgtccaagat tagctttctc cgagtagcca 3383 gagaaggtga aattgttcgt aacactattg taatgatttt ccagtgggga agaagatgtg 3443 gacccaaatg atacatagtc tacaaaaaga atttgttatt ctttcttata tttattttat 3503 ttaaagcttg ttagactcac acttatgtaa tgttggaact tgttgtccta aaaagggatt 3563 ggagttttct ttttatctaa gaatctgaag tttatatgct 3603 6 1081 PRT Arabidopsis thaliana 6 Met Glu Ala Ser Ala Gly Leu Val Ala Gly Ser Tyr Arg Arg Asn Glu 1 5 10 15 Leu Val Arg Ile Arg His Glu Ser Asp Gly Gly Thr Lys Pro Leu Lys 20 25 30 Asn Met Asn Gly Gln Ile Cys Gln Ile Cys Gly Asp Asp Val Gly Leu 35 40 45 Ala Glu Thr Gly Asp Val Phe Val Ala Cys Asn Glu Cys Ala Phe Pro 50 55 60 Val Cys Arg Pro Cys Tyr Glu Tyr Glu Arg Lys Asp Gly Thr Gln Cys 65 70 75 80 Cys Pro Gln Cys Lys Thr Arg Phe Arg Arg His Arg Gly Ser Pro Arg 85 90 95 Val Glu Gly Asp Glu Asp Glu Asp Asp Val Asp Asp Ile Glu Asn Glu 100 105 110 Phe Asn Tyr Ala Gln Gly Ala Asn Lys Ala Arg His Gln Arg His Gly 115 120 125 Glu Glu Phe Ser Ser Ser Ser Arg His Glu Ser Gln Pro Ile Pro Leu 130 135 140 Leu Thr His Gly His Thr Val Ser Gly Glu Ile Arg Thr Pro Asp Thr 145 150 155 160 Gln Ser Val Arg Thr Thr Ser Gly Pro Leu Gly Pro Ser Asp Arg Asn 165 170 175 Ala Ile Ser Ser Pro Tyr Ile Asp Pro Arg Gln Pro Val Pro Val Arg 180 185 190 Ile Val Asp Pro Ser Lys Asp Leu Asn Ser Tyr Gly Leu Gly Asn Val 195 200 205 Asp Trp Lys Glu Arg Val Glu Gly Trp Lys Leu Lys Gln Glu Lys Asn 210 215 220 Met Leu Gln Met Thr Gly Lys Tyr His Glu Gly Lys Gly Gly Glu Ile 225 230 235 240 Glu Gly Thr Gly Ser Asn Gly Glu Glu Leu Gln Met Ala Asp Asp Thr 245 250 255 Arg Leu Pro Met Ser Arg Val Val Pro Ile Pro Ser Ser Arg Leu Thr 260 265 270 Pro Tyr Arg Val Val Ile Ile Leu Arg Leu Ile Ile Leu Cys Phe Phe 275 280 285 Leu Gln Tyr Arg Thr Thr His Pro Val Lys Asn Ala Tyr Pro Leu Trp 290 295 300 Leu Thr Ser Val Ile Cys Glu Ile Trp Phe Ala Phe Ser Trp Leu Leu 305 310 315 320 Asp Gln Phe Pro Lys Trp Tyr Pro Ile Asn Arg Glu Thr Tyr Leu Asp 325 330 335 Arg Leu Ala Ile Arg Tyr Asp Arg Asp Gly Glu Pro Ser Gln Leu Val 340 345 350 Pro Val Asp Val Phe Val Ser Thr Val Asp Pro Leu Lys Glu Pro Pro 355 360 365 Leu Val Thr Ala Asn Thr Val Leu Ser Ile Leu Ser Val Asp Tyr Pro 370 375 380 Val Asp Lys Val Ala Cys Tyr Val Ser Asp Asp Gly Ser Ala Met Leu 385 390 395 400 Thr Phe Glu Ser Leu Ser Glu Thr Ala Glu Phe Ala Lys Lys Trp Val 405 410 415 Pro Phe Cys Lys Lys Phe Asn Ile Glu Pro Arg Ala Pro Glu Phe Tyr 420 425 430 Phe Ala Gln Lys Ile Asp Tyr Leu Lys Asp Lys Ile Gln Pro Ser Phe 435 440 445 Val Lys Glu Arg Arg Ala Met Lys Arg Glu Tyr Glu Glu Phe Lys Val 450 455 460 Arg Ile Asn Ala Leu Val Ala Lys Ala Gln Lys Ile Pro Glu Glu Gly 465 470 475 480 Trp Thr Met Gln Asp Gly Thr Pro Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn Thr Arg Asp 485 490 495 His Pro Gly Met Ile Gln Val Phe Leu Gly His Ser Gly Gly Leu Asp 500 505 510 Thr Asp Gly Asn Glu Leu Pro Arg Leu Ile Tyr Val Ser Arg Glu Lys 515 520 525 Arg Pro Gly Phe Gln His His Lys Lys Ala Gly Ala Met Asn Ala Leu 530 535 540 Ile Arg Val Ser Ala Val Leu Thr Asn Gly Ala Tyr Leu Leu Asn Val 545 550 555 560 Asp Cys Asp His Tyr Phe Asn Asn Ser Lys Ala Ile Lys Glu Ala Met 565 570 575 Cys Phe Met Met Asp Pro Ala Ile Gly Lys Lys Cys Cys Tyr Val Gln 580 585 590 Phe Pro Gln Arg Phe Asp Gly Ile Asp Leu His Asp Arg Tyr Ala Asn 595 600 605 Arg Asn Ile Val Phe Phe Asp Ile Asn Met Lys Gly Leu Asp Gly Ile 610 615 620 Gln Gly Pro Val Tyr Val Gly Thr Gly Cys Cys Phe Asn Arg Gln Ala 625 630 635 640 Leu Tyr Gly Tyr Asp Pro Val Leu Thr Glu Glu Asp Leu Glu Pro Asn 645 650 655 Ile Ile Val Lys Ser Cys Cys Gly Ser Arg Lys Lys Gly Lys Ser Ser 660 665 670 Lys Lys Tyr Asn Tyr Glu Lys Arg Arg Gly Ile Asn Arg Ser Asp Ser 675 680 685 Asn Ala Pro Leu Phe Asn Met Glu Asp Ile Asp Glu Gly Phe Glu Gly 690 695 700 Tyr Asp Asp Glu Arg Ser Ile Leu Met Ser Gln Arg Ser Val Glu Lys 705 710 715 720 Arg Phe Gly Gln Ser Pro Val Phe Ile Ala Ala Thr Phe Met Glu Gln 725 730 735 Gly Gly Ile Pro Pro Thr Thr Asn Pro Ala Thr Leu Leu Lys Glu Ala 740 745 750 Ile His Val Ile Ser Cys Gly Tyr Glu Asp Lys Thr Glu Trp Gly Lys 755 760 765 Glu Ile Gly Trp Ile Tyr Gly Ser Val Thr Glu Asp Ile Leu Thr Gly 770 775 780 Phe Lys Met His Ala Arg Gly Trp Ile Ser Ile Tyr Cys Asn Pro Pro 785 790 795 800 Arg Pro Ala Phe Lys Gly Ser Ala Pro Ile Asn Leu Ser Asp Arg Leu 805 810 815 Asn Gln Val Leu Arg Trp Ala Leu Gly Ser Ile Glu Ile Leu Leu Ser 820 825 830 Arg His Cys Pro Ile Trp Tyr Gly Tyr His Gly Arg Leu Arg Leu Leu 835 840 845 Glu Arg Ile Ala Tyr Ile Asn Thr Ile Val Tyr Pro Ile Thr Ser Ile 850 855 860 Pro Leu Ile Ala Tyr Cys Ile Leu Pro Ala Phe Cys Leu Ile Thr Asp 865 870 875 880 Arg Phe Ile Ile Pro Glu Ile Ser Asn Tyr Ala Ser Ile Trp Phe Ile 885 890 895 Leu Leu Phe Ile Ser Ile Ala Val Thr Gly Ile Leu Glu Leu Arg Trp 900 905 910 Ser Gly Val Ser Ile Glu Asp Trp Trp Arg Asn Glu Gln Phe Trp Val 915 920 925 Ile Gly Gly Thr Ser Ala His Leu Phe Ala Val Phe Gln Gly Leu Leu 930 935 940 Lys Val Leu Ala Gly Ile Asp Thr Asn Phe Thr Val Thr Ser Lys Ala 945 950 955 960 Thr Asp Glu Asp Gly Asp Phe Ala Glu Leu Tyr Ile Phe Lys Trp Thr 965 970 975 Ala Leu Leu Ile Pro Pro Thr Thr Val Leu Leu Val Asn Leu Ile Gly 980 985 990 Ile Val Ala Gly Val Ser Tyr Ala Val Asn Ser Gly Tyr Gln Ser Trp 995 1000 1005 Gly Pro Leu Phe Gly Lys Leu Phe Phe Ala Leu Trp Val Ile Ala His 1010 1015 1020 Leu Tyr Pro Phe Leu Lys Gly Leu Leu Gly Arg Gln Asn Arg Thr Pro 1025 1030 1035 1040 Thr Ile Val Ile Val Trp Ser Val Leu Leu Ala Ser Ile Phe Ser Leu 1045 1050 1055 Leu Trp Val Arg Ile Asn Pro Phe Val Asp Ala Asn Pro Asn Ala Asn 1060 1065 1070 Asn Phe Asn Gly Lys Gly Gly Val Phe 1075 1080 7 3828 DNA Arabidopsis thaliana CDS (239)..(3490) 7 gtcgacacta agtggatcca aagaattcgc ggccgcgtcg atacggctgc gagaagacga 60 cagaagggga ttgtcgattc ggtttatttc gtctccttcg tcttccactc ttactagtgc 120 atgctctgaa tctgtatgta atgggagttc aacagtctgg atccattatc ctagccgggt 180 cgggtcaagg tctttgaata agagagacaa ttcgttttga ttcggtgtag aagacatc 238 atg aat act ggt ggt cgg ctc att gct ggc tct cac aac aga aac gaa 286 Met Asn Thr Gly Gly Arg Leu Ile Ala Gly Ser His Asn Arg Asn Glu 1 5 10 15 ttc gtt ctc att aac gcc gat gag agt gcc aga ata cga tca gta caa 334 Phe Val Leu Ile Asn Ala Asp Glu Ser Ala Arg Ile Arg Ser Val Gln 20 25 30 gaa ctg agt ggg caa aca tgt caa atc tgt gga gat gaa atc gaa tta 382 Glu Leu Ser Gly Gln Thr Cys Gln Ile Cys Gly Asp Glu Ile Glu Leu 35 40 45 acg gtt agc agt gag ctc ttt gtt gct tgc aac gaa tgc gca ttc ccg 430 Thr Val Ser Ser Glu Leu Phe Val Ala Cys Asn Glu Cys Ala Phe Pro 50 55 60 gtt tgt aga cca tgc tat gag tat gaa cgt aga gaa gga aat caa gct 478 Val Cys Arg Pro Cys Tyr Glu Tyr Glu Arg Arg Glu Gly Asn Gln Ala 65 70 75 80 tgt cct cag tgc aaa act cga tac aaa agg att aaa ggt agt cca cgg 526 Cys Pro Gln Cys Lys Thr Arg Tyr Lys Arg Ile Lys Gly Ser Pro Arg 85 90 95 gtt gat gga gat gat gaa gaa gaa gaa gac att gat gat ctt gag tat 574 Val Asp Gly Asp Asp Glu Glu Glu Glu Asp Ile Asp Asp Leu Glu Tyr 100 105 110 gag ttt gat cat ggg atg gac cct gaa cat gcc gct gaa gcc gca ctc 622 Glu Phe Asp His Gly Met Asp Pro Glu His Ala Ala Glu Ala Ala Leu 115 120 125 tct tca cgc ctt aac acc ggt cgt ggt gga ttg gat tca gct cca cct 670 Ser Ser Arg Leu Asn Thr Gly Arg Gly Gly Leu Asp Ser Ala Pro Pro 130 135 140 ggc tct cag att cct ctt ttg act tat tgt gat gaa gat gct gat atg 718 Gly Ser Gln Ile Pro Leu Leu Thr Tyr Cys Asp Glu Asp Ala Asp Met 145 150 155 160 tat tct gat cgt cat gct ctt atc gtg cct cct tca acg gga tat ggg 766 Tyr Ser Asp Arg His Ala Leu Ile Val Pro Pro Ser Thr Gly Tyr Gly 165 170 175 aat cgc gtc tat cct gca ccg ttt aca gat tct tct gca cct cca cag 814 Asn Arg Val Tyr Pro Ala Pro Phe Thr Asp Ser Ser Ala Pro Pro Gln 180 185 190 gcg aga tca atg gtt cct cag aaa gat att gcg gaa tat ggt tat gga 862 Ala Arg Ser Met Val Pro Gln Lys Asp Ile Ala Glu Tyr Gly Tyr Gly 195 200 205 agt gtt gct tgg aag gac cgt atg gaa gtt tgg aag aga cga caa ggc 910 Ser Val Ala Trp Lys Asp Arg Met Glu Val Trp Lys Arg Arg Gln Gly 210 215 220 gaa aag ctt caa gtc att aag cat gaa gga gga aac aat ggt cga ggt 958 Glu Lys Leu Gln Val Ile Lys His Glu Gly Gly Asn Asn Gly Arg Gly 225 230 235 240 tcc aat gat gac gac gaa cta gat gat cct gac atg cct atg atg gat 1006 Ser Asn Asp Asp Asp Glu Leu Asp Asp Pro Asp Met Pro Met Met Asp 245 250 255 gaa gga aga caa cct ctc tca aga aag cta cct att cgt tca agc aga 1054 Glu Gly Arg Gln Pro Leu Ser Arg Lys Leu Pro Ile Arg Ser Ser Arg 260 265 270 ata aat cct tac agg atg tta att ctg tgt cgc ctc gcg att ctt ggt 1102 Ile Asn Pro Tyr Arg Met Leu Ile Leu Cys Arg Leu Ala Ile Leu Gly 275 280 285 ctt ttc ttt cat tat aga att ctc cat cca gtc aat gat gca tat gga 1150 Leu Phe Phe His Tyr Arg Ile Leu His Pro Val Asn Asp Ala Tyr Gly 290 295 300 tta tgg tta acg tca gtt ata tgc gaa ata tgg ttt gca gtg tct tgg 1198 Leu Trp Leu Thr Ser Val Ile Cys Glu Ile Trp Phe Ala Val Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 att ctt gat caa ttc ccc aaa tgg tat cct ata gaa cgt gaa aca tac 1246 Ile Leu Asp Gln Phe Pro Lys Trp Tyr Pro Ile Glu Arg Glu Thr Tyr 325 330 335 ctc gat aga ctc tct ctc agg tac gag aag gaa gga aaa ccg tca gga 1294 Leu Asp Arg Leu Ser Leu Arg Tyr Glu Lys Glu Gly Lys Pro Ser Gly 340 345 350 tta gca cct gtt gat gtt ttt gtt agt aca gtg gat ccg ttg aaa gag 1342 Leu Ala Pro Val Asp Val Phe Val Ser Thr Val Asp Pro Leu Lys Glu 355 360 365 ccc ccc ttg att aca gca aac aca gtt ctt tcc att cta gca gtt gat 1390 Pro Pro Leu Ile Thr Ala Asn Thr Val Leu Ser Ile Leu Ala Val Asp 370 375 380 tat cct gtg gat aag gtt gcg tgt tat gta tca aac aat ggt gca gct 1438 Tyr Pro Val Asp Lys Val Ala Cys Tyr Val Ser Asn Asn Gly Ala Ala 385 390 395 400 atg ctt aca ttt gaa gct ctc tct gat aca gct gat ttt gct aca aaa 1486 Met Leu Thr Phe Glu Ala Leu Ser Asp Thr Ala Asp Phe Ala Thr Lys 405 410 415 tgg gtt cct ttt tgt aag aag ttt aat atc gag cca cga gct cct gag 1534 Trp Val Pro Phe Cys Lys Lys Phe Asn Ile Glu Pro Arg Ala Pro Glu 420 425 430 tgg tat ttt tct cag aag atg gat tac ctg aag aac aaa gtt cat cct 1582 Trp Tyr Phe Ser Gln Lys Met Asp Tyr Leu Lys Asn Lys Val His Pro 435 440 445 gct ttt gtc agg gaa cgt cgt gct atg aag aga gat tat gaa gag ttt 1630 Ala Phe Val Arg Glu Arg Arg Ala Met Lys Arg Asp Tyr Glu Glu Phe 450 455 460 aaa gtg aag ata aat gca ctg gtt gct act gca cag aaa gtg cct gag 1678 Lys Val Lys Ile Asn Ala Leu Val Ala Thr Ala Gln Lys Val Pro Glu 465 470 475 480 gaa cgt tgg act atg caa gat gga act cct tgg cct gga aac aac gtc 1726 Glu Arg Trp Thr Met Gln Asp Gly Thr Pro Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn Val 485 490 495 cgt gac cat cct gga atg att cag gtg ttc ttg ggt cat agt gga gtt 1774 Arg Asp His Pro Gly Met Ile Gln Val Phe Leu Gly His Ser Gly Val 500 505 510 cgt gat acg gat ggt aat gag tta cca cgt cta gtg tat gtt tct cgt 1822 Arg Asp Thr Asp Gly Asn Glu Leu Pro Arg Leu Val Tyr Val Ser Arg 515 520 525 gag aag cgg cct gga ttt gat cac cac aag aaa gct gga gct atg aat 1870 Glu Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe Asp His His Lys Lys Ala Gly Ala Met Asn 530 535 540 tcc ttg atc cga gtc tct gct gtt cta tca aac gct cct tac ctt ctt 1918 Ser Leu Ile Arg Val Ser Ala Val Leu Ser Asn Ala Pro Tyr Leu Leu 545 550 555 560 aat gtc gat tgt gat cac tac atc aac aac agc aaa gca att aga gaa 1966 Asn Val Asp Cys Asp His Tyr Ile Asn Asn Ser Lys Ala Ile Arg Glu 565 570 575 tct atg tgt ttc atg atg gac ccg caa tcg gga aag aaa gtt tgt tat 2014 Ser Met Cys Phe Met Met Asp Pro Gln Ser Gly Lys Lys Val Cys Tyr 580 585 590 gtt cag ttt ccg cag aga ttt gat ggg att gat aga cat gat aga tac 2062 Val Gln Phe Pro Gln Arg Phe Asp Gly Ile Asp Arg His Asp Arg Tyr 595 600 605 tca aac cgt aac gtt gtg ttc ttt gat att aac atg aaa ggt ctt gat 2110 Ser Asn Arg Asn Val Val Phe Phe Asp Ile Asn Met Lys Gly Leu Asp 610 615 620 ggg ata caa gga ccg ata tat gtc ggg aca ggt tgt gtg ttt aga aaa 2158 Gly Ile Gln Gly Pro Ile Tyr Val Gly Thr Gly Cys Val Phe Arg Lys 625 630 635 640 cag gct ctt tat ggt ttt gat gca cca aag aag aag aaa cca cca ggc 2206 Gln Ala Leu Tyr Gly Phe Asp Ala Pro Lys Lys Lys Lys Pro Pro Gly 645 650 655 aaa acc tgt aac tgt tgg cct aaa tgg tgt tgt ttg tgt tgt ggg ttg 2254 Lys Thr Cys Asn Cys Trp Pro Lys Trp Cys Cys Leu Cys Cys Gly Leu 660 665 670 aga aag aag agt aaa acg aaa gcc aca gat aag aaa act aac act aaa 2302 Arg Lys Lys Ser Lys Thr Lys Ala Thr Asp Lys Lys Thr Asn Thr Lys 675 680 685 gag act tca aag cag att cat gcg cta gag aat gtc gac gaa ggt gtt 2350 Glu Thr Ser Lys Gln Ile His Ala Leu Glu Asn Val Asp Glu Gly Val 690 695 700 atc gtc cca gtg tca aat gtt gag aag aga tct gaa gca aca caa ttg 2398 Ile Val Pro Val Ser Asn Val Glu Lys Arg Ser Glu Ala Thr Gln Leu 705 710 715 720 aaa ttg gag aag aag ttt gga caa tct ccg gtt ttc gtt gcc tct gct 2446 Lys Leu Glu Lys Lys Phe Gly Gln Ser Pro Val Phe Val Ala Ser Ala 725 730 735 gtt cta cag aac ggt gga gtt ccc cgt aac gca agc ccc gca tgt ttg 2494 Val Leu Gln Asn Gly Gly Val Pro Arg Asn Ala Ser Pro Ala Cys Leu 740 745 750 tta aga gaa gcc att caa gtt att agc tgc ggg tac caa gat aaa acc 2542 Leu Arg Glu Ala Ile Gln Val Ile Ser Cys Gly Tyr Gln Asp Lys Thr 755 760 765 gaa tgg gga aaa gag atc ggg tgg att tat gga tcg gtg act gaa gat 2590 Glu Trp Gly Lys Glu Ile Gly Trp Ile Tyr Gly Ser Val Thr Glu Asp 770 775 780 atc ctg acg ggt ttc aag atg cat tgc cat gga tgg aga tct gtg tac 2638 Ile Leu Thr Gly Phe Lys Met His Cys His Gly Trp Arg Ser Val Tyr 785 790 795 800 tgt atg cct aag cgt gca gct ttt aaa gga tct gct cct att aac ttg 2686 Cys Met Pro Lys Arg Ala Ala Phe Lys Gly Ser Ala Pro Ile Asn Leu 805 810 815 tca gat cgt ctt cat caa gtt cta cgt tgg gct ctt ggc tct gta gag 2734 Ser Asp Arg Leu His Gln Val Leu Arg Trp Ala Leu Gly Ser Val Glu 820 825 830 att ttc ttg agc aga cat tgt ccg ata tgg tat ggt tat ggt ggt ggt 2782 Ile Phe Leu Ser Arg His Cys Pro Ile Trp Tyr Gly Tyr Gly Gly Gly 835 840 845 tta aaa tgg ttg gag aga ttc tct tac atc aac tct gtc gtc tat cct 2830 Leu Lys Trp Leu Glu Arg Phe Ser Tyr Ile Asn Ser Val Val Tyr Pro 850 855 860 tgg act tca ctt cca ttg atc gtc tat tgt tct ctc ccc gcg gtt tgt 2878 Trp Thr Ser Leu Pro Leu Ile Val Tyr Cys Ser Leu Pro Ala Val Cys 865 870 875 880 tta ctc aca gga aaa ttc atc gtc cct gag ata agc aac tac gca ggt 2926 Leu Leu Thr Gly Lys Phe Ile Val Pro Glu Ile Ser Asn Tyr Ala Gly 885 890 895 ata ctc ttc atg ctc atg ttc ata tcc ata gca gta act gga atc ctc 2974 Ile Leu Phe Met Leu Met Phe Ile Ser Ile Ala Val Thr Gly Ile Leu 900 905 910 gaa atg caa tgg gga ggt gtc gga atc gat gat tgg tgg aga aac gag 3022 Glu Met Gln Trp Gly Gly Val Gly Ile Asp Asp Trp Trp Arg Asn Glu 915 920 925 cag ttt tgg gta atc gga ggg gcc tcc tcg cat cta ttt gct ctg ttt 3070 Gln Phe Trp Val Ile Gly Gly Ala Ser Ser His Leu Phe Ala Leu Phe 930 935 940 caa ggt ttg ctc aaa gtt cta gcc gga gtt aac acg aat ttc aca gtc 3118 Gln Gly Leu Leu Lys Val Leu Ala Gly Val Asn Thr Asn Phe Thr Val 945 950 955 960 act tca aaa gca gca gac gat gga gct ttc tct gag ctt tac atc ttc 3166 Thr Ser Lys Ala Ala Asp Asp Gly Ala Phe Ser Glu Leu Tyr Ile Phe 965 970 975 aag tgg aca act ttg ttg att cct ccg aca aca ctt ctg atc att aac 3214 Lys Trp Thr Thr Leu Leu Ile Pro Pro Thr Thr Leu Leu Ile Ile Asn 980 985 990 atc att gga gtt att gtc ggc gtt tct gat gcc att agc aat ggc tat 3262 Ile Ile Gly Val Ile Val Gly Val Ser Asp Ala Ile Ser Asn Gly Tyr 995 1000 1005 gac tca tgg gga cct ctc ttt ggg aga ctt ttc ttc gct ctt tgg gtc 3310 Asp Ser Trp Gly Pro Leu Phe Gly Arg Leu Phe Phe Ala Leu Trp Val 1010 1015 1020 att gtt cat tta tac cca ttc ctc aag gga atg ctt ggg aag caa gac 3358 Ile Val His Leu Tyr Pro Phe Leu Lys Gly Met Leu Gly Lys Gln Asp 1025 1030 1035 1040 aaa atg cct acg att att gtg gtc tgg tct att ctt cta gct tcg atc 3406 Lys Met Pro Thr Ile Ile Val Val Trp Ser Ile Leu Leu Ala Ser Ile 1045 1050 1055 ttg aca ctc ttg tgg gtc aga att aac ccg ttt gtg gct aaa ggg gga 3454 Leu Thr Leu Leu Trp Val Arg Ile Asn Pro Phe Val Ala Lys Gly Gly 1060 1065 1070 cca gtg ttg gag atc tgt ggt ctg aat tgt gga aac taagatcctc 3500 Pro Val Leu Glu Ile Cys Gly Leu Asn Cys Gly Asn 1075 1080 agtgaaagaa gagcaaagga gtttgtgttg gagctttgga agcaaatgtg ttgatgatga 3560 tgcaagtgtg tttgtagaca aagatgtgca gtttttactt tttacgactt gttaaacctt 3620 ttttgttacc cctaaattaa ttcttttgtt atcatggtta tactaataga attgtttgtt 3680 tttctttttt acatgtactt ttagttattc cgtagttatt gtataatact gataacgatc 3740 atatatacac actttgttaa caaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaagcggccg 3800 ctcgaattgt cgacgcggcc gcgaattc 3828 8 1084 PRT Arabidopsis thaliana 8 Met Asn Thr Gly Gly Arg Leu Ile Ala Gly Ser His Asn Arg Asn Glu 1 5 10 15 Phe Val Leu Ile Asn Ala Asp Glu Ser Ala Arg Ile Arg Ser Val Gln 20 25 30 Glu Leu Ser Gly Gln Thr Cys Gln Ile Cys Gly Asp Glu Ile Glu Leu 35 40 45 Thr Val Ser Ser Glu Leu Phe Val Ala Cys Asn Glu Cys Ala Phe Pro 50 55 60 Val Cys Arg Pro Cys Tyr Glu Tyr Glu Arg Arg Glu Gly Asn Gln Ala 65 70 75 80 Cys Pro Gln Cys Lys Thr Arg Tyr Lys Arg Ile Lys Gly Ser Pro Arg 85 90 95 Val Asp Gly Asp Asp Glu Glu Glu Glu Asp Ile Asp Asp Leu Glu Tyr 100 105 110 Glu Phe Asp His Gly Met Asp Pro Glu His Ala Ala Glu Ala Ala Leu 115 120 125 Ser Ser Arg Leu Asn Thr Gly Arg Gly Gly Leu Asp Ser Ala Pro Pro 130 135 140 Gly Ser Gln Ile Pro Leu Leu Thr Tyr Cys Asp Glu Asp Ala Asp Met 145 150 155 160 Tyr Ser Asp Arg His Ala Leu Ile Val Pro Pro Ser Thr Gly Tyr Gly 165 170 175 Asn Arg Val Tyr Pro Ala Pro Phe Thr Asp Ser Ser Ala Pro Pro Gln 180 185 190 Ala Arg Ser Met Val Pro Gln Lys Asp Ile Ala Glu Tyr Gly Tyr Gly 195 200 205 Ser Val Ala Trp Lys Asp Arg Met Glu Val Trp Lys Arg Arg Gln Gly 210 215 220 Glu Lys Leu Gln Val Ile Lys His Glu Gly Gly Asn Asn Gly Arg Gly 225 230 235 240 Ser Asn Asp Asp Asp Glu Leu Asp Asp Pro Asp Met Pro Met Met Asp 245 250 255 Glu Gly Arg Gln Pro Leu Ser Arg Lys Leu Pro Ile Arg Ser Ser Arg 260 265 270 Ile Asn Pro Tyr Arg Met Leu Ile Leu Cys Arg Leu Ala Ile Leu Gly 275 280 285 Leu Phe Phe His Tyr Arg Ile Leu His Pro Val Asn Asp Ala Tyr Gly 290 295 300 Leu Trp Leu Thr Ser Val Ile Cys Glu Ile Trp Phe Ala Val Ser Trp 305 310 315 320 Ile Leu Asp Gln Phe Pro Lys Trp Tyr Pro Ile Glu Arg Glu Thr Tyr 325 330 335 Leu Asp Arg Leu Ser Leu Arg Tyr Glu Lys Glu Gly Lys Pro Ser Gly 340 345 350 Leu Ala Pro Val Asp Val Phe Val Ser Thr Val Asp Pro Leu Lys Glu 355 360 365 Pro Pro Leu Ile Thr Ala Asn Thr Val Leu Ser Ile Leu Ala Val Asp 370 375 380 Tyr Pro Val Asp Lys Val Ala Cys Tyr Val Ser Asn Asn Gly Ala Ala 385 390 395 400 Met Leu Thr Phe Glu Ala Leu Ser Asp Thr Ala Asp Phe Ala Thr Lys 405 410 415 Trp Val Pro Phe Cys Lys Lys Phe Asn Ile Glu Pro Arg Ala Pro Glu 420 425 430 Trp Tyr Phe Ser Gln Lys Met Asp Tyr Leu Lys Asn Lys Val His Pro 435 440 445 Ala Phe Val Arg Glu Arg Arg Ala Met Lys Arg Asp Tyr Glu Glu Phe 450 455 460 Lys Val Lys Ile Asn Ala Leu Val Ala Thr Ala Gln Lys Val Pro Glu 465 470 475 480 Glu Arg Trp Thr Met Gln Asp Gly Thr Pro Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn Val 485 490 495 Arg Asp His Pro Gly Met Ile Gln Val Phe Leu Gly His Ser Gly Val 500 505 510 Arg Asp Thr Asp Gly Asn Glu Leu Pro Arg Leu Val Tyr Val Ser Arg 515 520 525 Glu Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe Asp His His Lys Lys Ala Gly Ala Met Asn 530 535 540 Ser Leu Ile Arg Val Ser Ala Val Leu Ser Asn Ala Pro Tyr Leu Leu 545 550 555 560 Asn Val Asp Cys Asp His Tyr Ile Asn Asn Ser Lys Ala Ile Arg Glu 565 570 575 Ser Met Cys Phe Met Met Asp Pro Gln Ser Gly Lys Lys Val Cys Tyr 580 585 590 Val Gln Phe Pro Gln Arg Phe Asp Gly Ile Asp Arg His Asp Arg Tyr 595 600 605 Ser Asn Arg Asn Val Val Phe Phe Asp Ile Asn Met Lys Gly Leu Asp 610 615 620 Gly Ile Gln Gly Pro Ile Tyr Val Gly Thr Gly Cys Val Phe Arg Lys 625 630 635 640 Gln Ala Leu Tyr Gly Phe Asp Ala Pro Lys Lys Lys Lys Pro Pro Gly 645 650 655 Lys Thr Cys Asn Cys Trp Pro Lys Trp Cys Cys Leu Cys Cys Gly Leu 660 665 670 Arg Lys Lys Ser Lys Thr Lys Ala Thr Asp Lys Lys Thr Asn Thr Lys 675 680 685 Glu Thr Ser Lys Gln Ile His Ala Leu Glu Asn Val Asp Glu Gly Val 690 695 700 Ile Val Pro Val Ser Asn Val Glu Lys Arg Ser Glu Ala Thr Gln Leu 705 710 715 720 Lys Leu Glu Lys Lys Phe Gly Gln Ser Pro Val Phe Val Ala Ser Ala 725 730 735 Val Leu Gln Asn Gly Gly Val Pro Arg Asn Ala Ser Pro Ala Cys Leu 740 745 750 Leu Arg Glu Ala Ile Gln Val Ile Ser Cys Gly Tyr Gln Asp Lys Thr 755 760 765 Glu Trp Gly Lys Glu Ile Gly Trp Ile Tyr Gly Ser Val Thr Glu Asp 770 775 780 Ile Leu Thr Gly Phe Lys Met His Cys His Gly Trp Arg Ser Val Tyr 785 790 795 800 Cys Met Pro Lys Arg Ala Ala Phe Lys Gly Ser Ala Pro Ile Asn Leu 805 810 815 Ser Asp Arg Leu His Gln Val Leu Arg Trp Ala Leu Gly Ser Val Glu 820 825 830 Ile Phe Leu Ser Arg His Cys Pro Ile Trp Tyr Gly Tyr Gly Gly Gly 835 840 845 Leu Lys Trp Leu Glu Arg Phe Ser Tyr Ile Asn Ser Val Val Tyr Pro 850 855 860 Trp Thr Ser Leu Pro Leu Ile Val Tyr Cys Ser Leu Pro Ala Val Cys 865 870 875 880 Leu Leu Thr Gly Lys Phe Ile Val Pro Glu Ile Ser Asn Tyr Ala Gly 885 890 895 Ile Leu Phe Met Leu Met Phe Ile Ser Ile Ala Val Thr Gly Ile Leu 900 905 910 Glu Met Gln Trp Gly Gly Val Gly Ile Asp Asp Trp Trp Arg Asn Glu 915 920 925 Gln Phe Trp Val Ile Gly Gly Ala Ser Ser His Leu Phe Ala Leu Phe 930 935 940 Gln Gly Leu Leu Lys Val Leu Ala Gly Val Asn Thr Asn Phe Thr Val 945 950 955 960 Thr Ser Lys Ala Ala Asp Asp Gly Ala Phe Ser Glu Leu Tyr Ile Phe 965 970 975 Lys Trp Thr Thr Leu Leu Ile Pro Pro Thr Thr Leu Leu Ile Ile Asn 980 985 990 Ile Ile Gly Val Ile Val Gly Val Ser Asp Ala Ile Ser Asn Gly Tyr 995 1000 1005 Asp Ser Trp Gly Pro Leu Phe Gly Arg Leu Phe Phe Ala Leu Trp Val 1010 1015 1020 Ile Val His Leu Tyr Pro Phe Leu Lys Gly Met Leu Gly Lys Gln Asp 1025 1030 1035 1040 Lys Met Pro Thr Ile Ile Val Val Trp Ser Ile Leu Leu Ala Ser Ile 1045 1050 1055 Leu Thr Leu Leu Trp Val Arg Ile Asn Pro Phe Val Ala Lys Gly Gly 1060 1065 1070 Pro Val Leu Glu Ile Cys Gly Leu Asn Cys Gly Asn 1075 1080 9 3614 DNA Arabidopsis thaliana CDS (217)..(3411) 9 gaattcgcgg ccgcgtcgac tacggctgcg agaagacgac agaaggggat cccaagattc 60 tcctcttcgt cttccttata aactatctct ctgtagagaa gaaagcttgg atccagattg 120 agagagattc agagagccac atcaccacac tccatcttca gatctcatga tttgaactat 180 tccgacgttt cggtgttgga agcaactaag tgacaa atg gaa tcc gaa gga gaa 234 Met Glu Ser Glu Gly Glu 1 5 acc gcg gga aag ccg atg aag aac att gtt ccg cag act tgc cag atc 282 Thr Ala Gly Lys Pro Met Lys Asn Ile Val Pro Gln Thr Cys Gln Ile 10 15 20 tgt agt gac aat gtt ggc aag act gtt gat gga gat cgt ttt gtg gct 330 Cys Ser Asp Asn Val Gly Lys Thr Val Asp Gly Asp Arg Phe Val Ala 25 30 35 tgt gat att tgt tca ttc cca gtt tgt cgg cct tgc tac gag tat gag 378 Cys Asp Ile Cys Ser Phe Pro Val Cys Arg Pro Cys Tyr Glu Tyr Glu 40 45 50 agg aaa gat ggg aat caa tct tgt cct cag tgc aaa acc aga tac aag 426 Arg Lys Asp Gly Asn Gln Ser Cys Pro Gln Cys Lys Thr Arg Tyr Lys 55 60 65 70 agg ctc aaa ggt agt cct gct att cct ggt gat aaa gac gag gat ggc 474 Arg Leu Lys Gly Ser Pro Ala Ile Pro Gly Asp Lys Asp Glu Asp Gly 75 80 85 tta gct gat gaa ggt act gtt gag ttc aac tac cct cag aag gag aaa 522 Leu Ala Asp Glu Gly Thr Val Glu Phe Asn Tyr Pro Gln Lys Glu Lys 90 95 100 att tca gag cgg atg ctt ggt tgg cat ctt act cgt ggg aag gga gag 570 Ile Ser Glu Arg Met Leu Gly Trp His Leu Thr Arg Gly Lys Gly Glu 105 110 115 gaa atg ggg gaa ccc cag tat gat aaa gag gtc tct cac aat cat ctt 618 Glu Met Gly Glu Pro Gln Tyr Asp Lys Glu Val Ser His Asn His Leu 120 125 130 cct cgt ctc acg agc aga caa gat act tca gga gag ttt tct gct gcc 666 Pro Arg Leu Thr Ser Arg Gln Asp Thr Ser Gly Glu Phe Ser Ala Ala 135 140 145 150 tca cct gaa cgc ctc tct gta tct tct act atc gct ggg gga aag cgc 714 Ser Pro Glu Arg Leu Ser Val Ser Ser Thr Ile Ala Gly Gly Lys Arg 155 160 165 ctt ccc tat tca tca gat gtc aat caa tca cca aat aga agg att gtg 762 Leu Pro Tyr Ser Ser Asp Val Asn Gln Ser Pro Asn Arg Arg Ile Val 170 175 180 gat cct gtt gga ctc ggg aat gta gct tgg aag gag aga gtt gat ggc 810 Asp Pro Val Gly Leu Gly Asn Val Ala Trp Lys Glu Arg Val Asp Gly 185 190 195 tgg aaa atg aag caa gag aag aat act ggt cct gtc agc acg cag gct 858 Trp Lys Met Lys Gln Glu Lys Asn Thr Gly Pro Val Ser Thr Gln Ala 200 205 210 gct tct gaa aga ggt gga gta gat att gat gcc agc aca gat atc cta 906 Ala Ser Glu Arg Gly Gly Val Asp Ile Asp Ala Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu 215 220 225 230 gca gat gag gct ctg ctg aat gac gaa gcg agg cag ctt ctg tca agg 954 Ala Asp Glu Ala Leu Leu Asn Asp Glu Ala Arg Gln Leu Leu Ser Arg 235 240 245 aaa gtt tca att cct tca tca cgg atc aat cct tac aga atg gtt att 1002 Lys Val Ser Ile Pro Ser Ser Arg Ile Asn Pro Tyr Arg Met Val Ile 250 255 260 atg ctg cgg ctt gtt atc ctt tgt ctc ttc ttg cat tac cgt ata aca 1050 Met Leu Arg Leu Val Ile Leu Cys Leu Phe Leu His Tyr Arg Ile Thr 265 270 275 aac cca gtg cca aat gcc ttt gct cta tgg ctg gtc tct gtg ata tgt 1098 Asn Pro Val Pro Asn Ala Phe Ala Leu Trp Leu Val Ser Val Ile Cys 280 285 290 gag atc tgg ttt gcc tta tcc tgg att ttg gat cag ttt ccc aag tgg 1146 Glu Ile Trp Phe Ala Leu Ser Trp Ile Leu Asp Gln Phe Pro Lys Trp 295 300 305 310 ttt cct gtg aac cgt gaa acc tac ctc gac agg ctt gct tta aga tat 1194 Phe Pro Val Asn Arg Glu Thr Tyr Leu Asp Arg Leu Ala Leu Arg Tyr 315 320 325 gat cgt gaa ggt gag cca tca cag tta gct gct gtt gac att ttc gtg 1242 Asp Arg Glu Gly Glu Pro Ser Gln Leu Ala Ala Val Asp Ile Phe Val 330 335 340 agt act gtt gac ccc ttg aag gag cca ccc ctt gtg aca gcc aac aca 1290 Ser Thr Val Asp Pro Leu Lys Glu Pro Pro Leu Val Thr Ala Asn Thr 345 350 355 gtg ctc tct att ctg gct gtt gac tac cca gtt gac aag gtg tcc tgt 1338 Val Leu Ser Ile Leu Ala Val Asp Tyr Pro Val Asp Lys Val Ser Cys 360 365 370 tat gtt tct gat gat ggt gct gct atg tta tca ttt gaa tca ctt gca 1386 Tyr Val Ser Asp Asp Gly Ala Ala Met Leu Ser Phe Glu Ser Leu Ala 375 380 385 390 gaa aca tca gag ttt gct cgt aaa tgg gta cca ttt tgc aag aaa tat 1434 Glu Thr Ser Glu Phe Ala Arg Lys Trp Val Pro Phe Cys Lys Lys Tyr 395 400 405 agc ata gag cct cgt gca cca gaa tgg tac ttt gct gcg aaa ata gat 1482 Ser Ile Glu Pro Arg Ala Pro Glu Trp Tyr Phe Ala Ala Lys Ile Asp 410 415 420 tac ttg aag gat aaa gtt cag aca tca ttt gtc aaa gat cgt aga gct 1530 Tyr Leu Lys Asp Lys Val Gln Thr Ser Phe Val Lys Asp Arg Arg Ala 425 430 435 atg aag agg gaa tat gag gaa ttt aaa atc cga atc aat gca ctt gtt 1578 Met Lys Arg Glu Tyr Glu Glu Phe Lys Ile Arg Ile Asn Ala Leu Val 440 445 450 tcc aaa gcc cta aaa tgt cct gaa gaa ggg tgg gtt atg caa gat ggc 1626 Ser Lys Ala Leu Lys Cys Pro Glu Glu Gly Trp Val Met Gln Asp Gly 455 460 465 470 aca ccg tgg cct gga aat aat aca ggg gac cat cca gga atg atc cag 1674 Thr Pro Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn Thr Gly Asp His Pro Gly Met Ile Gln 475 480 485 gtc ttc tta ggg caa aat ggt gga ctt gat gca gag ggc aat gag ctc 1722 Val Phe Leu Gly Gln Asn Gly Gly Leu Asp Ala Glu Gly Asn Glu Leu 490 495 500 ccg cgt ttg gta tat gtt tct cga gaa aag cga cca gga ttc cag cac 1770 Pro Arg Leu Val Tyr Val Ser Arg Glu Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe Gln His 505 510 515 cac aaa aag gct ggt gct atg aat gca ctg gtg aga gtt tca gca gtt 1818 His Lys Lys Ala Gly Ala Met Asn Ala Leu Val Arg Val Ser Ala Val 520 525 530 ctt acc aat gga cct ttc atc ttg aat ctt gat tgt gat cat tac ata 1866 Leu Thr Asn Gly Pro Phe Ile Leu Asn Leu Asp Cys Asp His Tyr Ile 535 540 545 550 aat aac agc aaa gcc tta aga gaa gca atg tgc ttc ctg atg gac cca 1914 Asn Asn Ser Lys Ala Leu Arg Glu Ala Met Cys Phe Leu Met Asp Pro 555 560 565 aac ctc ggg aag caa gtt tgt tat gtt cag ttc cca caa aga ttt gat 1962 Asn Leu Gly Lys Gln Val Cys Tyr Val Gln Phe Pro Gln Arg Phe Asp 570 575 580 ggt atc gat aag aac gat aga tat gct aat cgt aat acc gtg ttc ttt 2010 Gly Ile Asp Lys Asn Asp Arg Tyr Ala Asn Arg Asn Thr Val Phe Phe 585 590 595 gat att aac ttg aga ggt tta gat ggg att caa gga cct gta tat gtc 2058 Asp Ile Asn Leu Arg Gly Leu Asp Gly Ile Gln Gly Pro Val Tyr Val 600 605 610 gga act gga tgt gtt ttc aac aga aca gca tta tac ggt tat gaa cct 2106 Gly Thr Gly Cys Val Phe Asn Arg Thr Ala Leu Tyr Gly Tyr Glu Pro 615 620 625 630 cca ata aaa gta aaa cac aag aag cca agt ctt tta tct aag ctc tgt 2154 Pro Ile Lys Val Lys His Lys Lys Pro Ser Leu Leu Ser Lys Leu Cys 635 640 645 ggt gga tca aga aag aag aat tcc aaa gct aag aaa gag tcg gac aaa 2202 Gly Gly Ser Arg Lys Lys Asn Ser Lys Ala Lys Lys Glu Ser Asp Lys 650 655 660 aag aaa tca ggc agg cat act gac tca act gtt cct gta ttc aac ctc 2250 Lys Lys Ser Gly Arg His Thr Asp Ser Thr Val Pro Val Phe Asn Leu 665 670 675 gat gac ata gaa gag gga gtt gaa ggt gct ggt ttt gat gat gaa aag 2298 Asp Asp Ile Glu Glu Gly Val Glu Gly Ala Gly Phe Asp Asp Glu Lys 680 685 690 gcg ctc tta atg tcg caa atg agc ctg gag aag cga ttt gga cag tct 2346 Ala Leu Leu Met Ser Gln Met Ser Leu Glu Lys Arg Phe Gly Gln Ser 695 700 705 710 gct gtt ttt gtt gct tct acc cta atg gaa aat ggt ggt gtt cct cct 2394 Ala Val Phe Val Ala Ser Thr Leu Met Glu Asn Gly Gly Val Pro Pro 715 720 725 tca gca act cca gaa aac ttt ctc aaa gag gct atc cat gtc att agt 2442 Ser Ala Thr Pro Glu Asn Phe Leu Lys Glu Ala Ile His Val Ile Ser 730 735 740 tgt ggt tat gag gat aag tca gat tgg gga atg gag att gga tgg atc 2490 Cys Gly Tyr Glu Asp Lys Ser Asp Trp Gly Met Glu Ile Gly Trp Ile 745 750 755 tat ggt tct gtg aca gaa gat att ctg act ggg ttc aaa atg cat gcc 2538 Tyr Gly Ser Val Thr Glu Asp Ile Leu Thr Gly Phe Lys Met His Ala 760 765 770 cgt gga tgg cga tcc att tac tgc atg cct aag ctt cca gct ttc aag 2586 Arg Gly Trp Arg Ser Ile Tyr Cys Met Pro Lys Leu Pro Ala Phe Lys 775 780 785 790 ggt tct gct cct atc aat ctt tca gat cgt ctg aac caa gtg ctg agg 2634 Gly Ser Ala Pro Ile Asn Leu Ser Asp Arg Leu Asn Gln Val Leu Arg 795 800 805 tgg gct tta ggt tca gtt gag att ctc ttc agt cgg cat tgt cct ata 2682 Trp Ala Leu Gly Ser Val Glu Ile Leu Phe Ser Arg His Cys Pro Ile 810 815 820 tgg tat ggt tac aat ggg agg cta aaa ttt ctt gag agg ttt gcg tat 2730 Trp Tyr Gly Tyr Asn Gly Arg Leu Lys Phe Leu Glu Arg Phe Ala Tyr 825 830 835 gtg aac acc acc atc tac cct atc acc tcc att cct ctt ctc atg tat 2778 Val Asn Thr Thr Ile Tyr Pro Ile Thr Ser Ile Pro Leu Leu Met Tyr 840 845 850 tgt aca ttg cta gcc gtt tgt ctc ttc acc aac cag ttt att att cct 2826 Cys Thr Leu Leu Ala Val Cys Leu Phe Thr Asn Gln Phe Ile Ile Pro 855 860 865 870 cag att agt aac att gca agt ata tgg ttt ctg tct ctc ttt ctc tcc 2874 Gln Ile Ser Asn Ile Ala Ser Ile Trp Phe Leu Ser Leu Phe Leu Ser 875 880 885 att ttc gcc acg ggt ata cta gaa atg agg tgg agt ggc gta ggc ata 2922 Ile Phe Ala Thr Gly Ile Leu Glu Met Arg Trp Ser Gly Val Gly Ile 890 895 900 gac gaa tgg tgg aga aac gag cag ttt tgg gtc att ggt gga gta tcc 2970 Asp Glu Trp Trp Arg Asn Glu Gln Phe Trp Val Ile Gly Gly Val Ser 905 910 915 gct cat tta ttc gct gtg ttt caa ggt atc ctc aaa gtc ctt gcc ggt 3018 Ala His Leu Phe Ala Val Phe Gln Gly Ile Leu Lys Val Leu Ala Gly 920 925 930 att gac aca aac ttc aca gtt acc tca aaa gct tca gat gaa gac gga 3066 Ile Asp Thr Asn Phe Thr Val Thr Ser Lys Ala Ser Asp Glu Asp Gly 935 940 945 950 gac ttt gct gag ctc tac ttg ttc aaa tgg aca aca ctt ctg att ccg 3114 Asp Phe Ala Glu Leu Tyr Leu Phe Lys Trp Thr Thr Leu Leu Ile Pro 955 960 965 cca acg acg ctg ctc att gta aac tta gtg gga gtt gtt gca gga gtc 3162 Pro Thr Thr Leu Leu Ile Val Asn Leu Val Gly Val Val Ala Gly Val 970 975 980 tct tat gct atc aac agt gga tac caa tca tgg gga cca ctc ttt ggt 3210 Ser Tyr Ala Ile Asn Ser Gly Tyr Gln Ser Trp Gly Pro Leu Phe Gly 985 990 995 aag ttg ttc ttt gcc ttc tgg gtg att gtt cac ttg tac cct ttc ctc 3258 Lys Leu Phe Phe Ala Phe Trp Val Ile Val His Leu Tyr Pro Phe Leu 1000 1005 1010 aag ggt ttg atg ggt cga cag aac cgg act cct acc att gtt gtg gtc 3306 Lys Gly Leu Met Gly Arg Gln Asn Arg Thr Pro Thr Ile Val Val Val 1015 1020 1025 1030 tgg tct gtt ctc ttg gct tct atc ttc tcg ttg ttg tgg gtt agg att 3354 Trp Ser Val Leu Leu Ala Ser Ile Phe Ser Leu Leu Trp Val Arg Ile 1035 1040 1045 gat ccc ttc act agc cga gtc act ggc ccg gac att ctg gaa tgt gga 3402 Asp Pro Phe Thr Ser Arg Val Thr Gly Pro Asp Ile Leu Glu Cys Gly 1050 1055 1060 atc aac tgt tgagaagcga gcaaatattt acctgttttg agggttaaaa 3451 Ile Asn Cys 1065 aaaacacaga atttaaatta tttttcattg ttttatttgt tcactttttt acttttgttg 3511 tgtgtatctg tctgttcgtt cttctgtctt ggtgtcataa atttatgtgt agaatatatc 3571 ttactctagt tactttggaa agttataatt aaagtgaaag cca 3614 10 1065 PRT Arabidopsis thaliana 10 Met Glu Ser Glu Gly Glu Thr Ala Gly Lys Pro Met Lys Asn Ile Val 1 5 10 15 Pro Gln Thr Cys Gln Ile Cys Ser Asp Asn Val Gly Lys Thr Val Asp 20 25 30 Gly Asp Arg Phe Val Ala Cys Asp Ile Cys Ser Phe Pro Val Cys Arg 35 40 45 Pro Cys Tyr Glu Tyr Glu Arg Lys Asp Gly Asn Gln Ser Cys Pro Gln 50 55 60 Cys Lys Thr Arg Tyr Lys Arg Leu Lys Gly Ser Pro Ala Ile Pro Gly 65 70 75 80 Asp Lys Asp Glu Asp Gly Leu Ala Asp Glu Gly Thr Val Glu Phe Asn 85 90 95 Tyr Pro Gln Lys Glu Lys Ile Ser Glu Arg Met Leu Gly Trp His Leu 100 105 110 Thr Arg Gly Lys Gly Glu Glu Met Gly Glu Pro Gln Tyr Asp Lys Glu 115 120 125 Val Ser His Asn His Leu Pro Arg Leu Thr Ser Arg Gln Asp Thr Ser 130 135 140 Gly Glu Phe Ser Ala Ala Ser Pro Glu Arg Leu Ser Val Ser Ser Thr 145 150 155 160 Ile Ala Gly Gly Lys Arg Leu Pro Tyr Ser Ser Asp Val Asn Gln Ser 165 170 175 Pro Asn Arg Arg Ile Val Asp Pro Val Gly Leu Gly Asn Val Ala Trp 180 185 190 Lys Glu Arg Val Asp Gly Trp Lys Met Lys Gln Glu Lys Asn Thr Gly 195 200 205 Pro Val Ser Thr Gln Ala Ala Ser Glu Arg Gly Gly Val Asp Ile Asp 210 215 220 Ala Ser Thr Asp Ile Leu Ala Asp Glu Ala Leu Leu Asn Asp Glu Ala 225 230 235 240 Arg Gln Leu Leu Ser Arg Lys Val Ser Ile Pro Ser Ser Arg Ile Asn 245 250 255 Pro Tyr Arg Met Val Ile Met Leu Arg Leu Val Ile Leu Cys Leu Phe 260 265 270 Leu His Tyr Arg Ile Thr Asn Pro Val Pro Asn Ala Phe Ala Leu Trp 275 280 285 Leu Val Ser Val Ile Cys Glu Ile Trp Phe Ala Leu Ser Trp Ile Leu 290 295 300 Asp Gln Phe Pro Lys Trp Phe Pro Val Asn Arg Glu Thr Tyr Leu Asp 305 310 315 320 Arg Leu Ala Leu Arg Tyr Asp Arg Glu Gly Glu Pro Ser Gln Leu Ala 325 330 335 Ala Val Asp Ile Phe Val Ser Thr Val Asp Pro Leu Lys Glu Pro Pro 340 345 350 Leu Val Thr Ala Asn Thr Val Leu Ser Ile Leu Ala Val Asp Tyr Pro 355 360 365 Val Asp Lys Val Ser Cys Tyr Val Ser Asp Asp Gly Ala Ala Met Leu 370 375 380 Ser Phe Glu Ser Leu Ala Glu Thr Ser Glu Phe Ala Arg Lys Trp Val 385 390 395 400 Pro Phe Cys Lys Lys Tyr Ser Ile Glu Pro Arg Ala Pro Glu Trp Tyr 405 410 415 Phe Ala Ala Lys Ile Asp Tyr Leu Lys Asp Lys Val Gln Thr Ser Phe 420 425 430 Val Lys Asp Arg Arg Ala Met Lys Arg Glu Tyr Glu Glu Phe Lys Ile 435 440 445 Arg Ile Asn Ala Leu Val Ser Lys Ala Leu Lys Cys Pro Glu Glu Gly 450 455 460 Trp Val Met Gln Asp Gly Thr Pro Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn Thr Gly Asp 465 470 475 480 His Pro Gly Met Ile Gln Val Phe Leu Gly Gln Asn Gly Gly Leu Asp 485 490 495 Ala Glu Gly Asn Glu Leu Pro Arg Leu Val Tyr Val Ser Arg Glu Lys 500 505 510 Arg Pro Gly Phe Gln His His Lys Lys Ala Gly Ala Met Asn Ala Leu 515 520 525 Val Arg Val Ser Ala Val Leu Thr Asn Gly Pro Phe Ile Leu Asn Leu 530 535 540 Asp Cys Asp His Tyr Ile Asn Asn Ser Lys Ala Leu Arg Glu Ala Met 545 550 555 560 Cys Phe Leu Met Asp Pro Asn Leu Gly Lys Gln Val Cys Tyr Val Gln 565 570 575 Phe Pro Gln Arg Phe Asp Gly Ile Asp Lys Asn Asp Arg Tyr Ala Asn 580 585 590 Arg Asn Thr Val Phe Phe Asp Ile Asn Leu Arg Gly Leu Asp Gly Ile 595 600 605 Gln Gly Pro Val Tyr Val Gly Thr Gly Cys Val Phe Asn Arg Thr Ala 610 615 620 Leu Tyr Gly Tyr Glu Pro Pro Ile Lys Val Lys His Lys Lys Pro Ser 625 630 635 640 Leu Leu Ser Lys Leu Cys Gly Gly Ser Arg Lys Lys Asn Ser Lys Ala 645 650 655 Lys Lys Glu Ser Asp Lys Lys Lys Ser Gly Arg His Thr Asp Ser Thr 660 665 670 Val Pro Val Phe Asn Leu Asp Asp Ile Glu Glu Gly Val Glu Gly Ala 675 680 685 Gly Phe Asp Asp Glu Lys Ala Leu Leu Met Ser Gln Met Ser Leu Glu 690 695 700 Lys Arg Phe Gly Gln Ser Ala Val Phe Val Ala Ser Thr Leu Met Glu 705 710 715 720 Asn Gly Gly Val Pro Pro Ser Ala Thr Pro Glu Asn Phe Leu Lys Glu 725 730 735 Ala Ile His Val Ile Ser Cys Gly Tyr Glu Asp Lys Ser Asp Trp Gly 740 745 750 Met Glu Ile Gly Trp Ile Tyr Gly Ser Val Thr Glu Asp Ile Leu Thr 755 760 765 Gly Phe Lys Met His Ala Arg Gly Trp Arg Ser Ile Tyr Cys Met Pro 770 775 780 Lys Leu Pro Ala Phe Lys Gly Ser Ala Pro Ile Asn Leu Ser Asp Arg 785 790 795 800 Leu Asn Gln Val Leu Arg Trp Ala Leu Gly Ser Val Glu Ile Leu Phe 805 810 815 Ser Arg His Cys Pro Ile Trp Tyr Gly Tyr Asn Gly Arg Leu Lys Phe 820 825 830 Leu Glu Arg Phe Ala Tyr Val Asn Thr Thr Ile Tyr Pro Ile Thr Ser 835 840 845 Ile Pro Leu Leu Met Tyr Cys Thr Leu Leu Ala Val Cys Leu Phe Thr 850 855 860 Asn Gln Phe Ile Ile Pro Gln Ile Ser Asn Ile Ala Ser Ile Trp Phe 865 870 875 880 Leu Ser Leu Phe Leu Ser Ile Phe Ala Thr Gly Ile Leu Glu Met Arg 885 890 895 Trp Ser Gly Val Gly Ile Asp Glu Trp Trp Arg Asn Glu Gln Phe Trp 900 905 910 Val Ile Gly Gly Val Ser Ala His Leu Phe Ala Val Phe Gln Gly Ile 915 920 925 Leu Lys Val Leu Ala Gly Ile Asp Thr Asn Phe Thr Val Thr Ser Lys 930 935 940 Ala Ser Asp Glu Asp Gly Asp Phe Ala Glu Leu Tyr Leu Phe Lys Trp 945 950 955 960 Thr Thr Leu Leu Ile Pro Pro Thr Thr Leu Leu Ile Val Asn Leu Val 965 970 975 Gly Val Val Ala Gly Val Ser Tyr Ala Ile Asn Ser Gly Tyr Gln Ser 980 985 990 Trp Gly Pro Leu Phe Gly Lys Leu Phe Phe Ala Phe Trp Val Ile Val 995 1000 1005 His Leu Tyr Pro Phe Leu Lys Gly Leu Met Gly Arg Gln Asn Arg Thr 1010 1015 1020 Pro Thr Ile Val Val Val Trp Ser Val Leu Leu Ala Ser Ile Phe Ser 1025 1030 1035 1040 Leu Leu Trp Val Arg Ile Asp Pro Phe Thr Ser Arg Val Thr Gly Pro 1045 1050 1055 Asp Ile Leu Glu Cys Gly Ile Asn Cys 1060 1065 11 3673 DNA Arabidopsis thaliana CDS (71)..(3313) 11 gaatcggcta cgaatttccc aattttgaat tttgtgaatc tctctctttc tctgtgtgtc 60 ggtggctgcg atg gag gcc agt gcc ggc ttg gtt gct gga tcc tac cgg 109 Met Glu Ala Ser Ala Gly Leu Val Ala Gly Ser Tyr Arg 1 5 10 aga aac gag ctc gtt cgg atc cga cat gaa tct gat ggc ggg acc aaa 157 Arg Asn Glu Leu Val Arg Ile Arg His Glu Ser Asp Gly Gly Thr Lys 15 20 25 cct ttg aag aat atg aat ggc cag ata tgt cag atc tgt ggt gat gat 205 Pro Leu Lys Asn Met Asn Gly Gln Ile Cys Gln Ile Cys Gly Asp Asp 30 35 40 45 gtt gga ctc gct gaa act gga gat gtc ttt gtc gcg tgt aat gaa tgt 253 Val Gly Leu Ala Glu Thr Gly Asp Val Phe Val Ala Cys Asn Glu Cys 50 55 60 gcc ttc cct gtg tgt cgg cct tgc tat gag tac gag agg aaa gat gga 301 Ala Phe Pro Val Cys Arg Pro Cys Tyr Glu Tyr Glu Arg Lys Asp Gly 65 70 75 act cag tgt tgc cct caa tgc aag act aga ttc aga cga cac agg ggg 349 Thr Gln Cys Cys Pro Gln Cys Lys Thr Arg Phe Arg Arg His Arg Gly 80 85 90 agt cct cgt gtt gaa gga gat gaa gat gag gat gat gtt gat gat atc 397 Ser Pro Arg Val Glu Gly Asp Glu Asp Glu Asp Asp Val Asp Asp Ile 95 100 105 gag aat gag ttc aat tac gcc cag gga gct aac aag gcg aga cac caa 445 Glu Asn Glu Phe Asn Tyr Ala Gln Gly Ala Asn Lys Ala Arg His Gln 110 115 120 125 cgc cat ggc gaa gag ttt tct tct tcc tct aga cat gaa tct caa cca 493 Arg His Gly Glu Glu Phe Ser Ser Ser Ser Arg His Glu Ser Gln Pro 130 135 140 att cct ctt ctc acc cat ggc cat acg gtt tct gga gag att cgc acg 541 Ile Pro Leu Leu Thr His Gly His Thr Val Ser Gly Glu Ile Arg Thr 145 150 155 cct gat aca caa tct gtg cga act aca tca ggt cct ttg ggt cct tct 589 Pro Asp Thr Gln Ser Val Arg Thr Thr Ser Gly Pro Leu Gly Pro Ser 160 165 170 gac agg aat gct att tca tct cca tat att gat cca cgg caa cct gtc 637 Asp Arg Asn Ala Ile Ser Ser Pro Tyr Ile Asp Pro Arg Gln Pro Val 175 180 185 cct gta aga atc gtg gac ccg tca aaa gac ttg aac tct tat ggg ctt 685 Pro Val Arg Ile Val Asp Pro Ser Lys Asp Leu Asn Ser Tyr Gly Leu 190 195 200 205 ggt aat gtt gac tgg aaa gaa aga gtt gaa ggc tgg aag ctg aag cag 733 Gly Asn Val Asp Trp Lys Glu Arg Val Glu Gly Trp Lys Leu Lys Gln 210 215 220 gag aaa aat atg tta cag atg act ggt aaa tac cat gaa ggg aaa gga 781 Glu Lys Asn Met Leu Gln Met Thr Gly Lys Tyr His Glu Gly Lys Gly 225 230 235 gga gaa att gaa ggg act ggt tcc aat ggc gaa gaa ctc caa atg gct 829 Gly Glu Ile Glu Gly Thr Gly Ser Asn Gly Glu Glu Leu Gln Met Ala 240 245 250 gat gat aca cgt ctt cct atg agt cgt gtg gtg cct atc cca tct tct 877 Asp Asp Thr Arg Leu Pro Met Ser Arg Val Val Pro Ile Pro Ser Ser 255 260 265 cgc cta acc cct tat cgg gtt gtg att att ctc cgg ctt atc atc ttg 925 Arg Leu Thr Pro Tyr Arg Val Val Ile Ile Leu Arg Leu Ile Ile Leu 270 275 280 285 tgt ttc ttc ttg caa tat cgt aca act cac cct gtg aaa aat gca tat 973 Cys Phe Phe Leu Gln Tyr Arg Thr Thr His Pro Val Lys Asn Ala Tyr 290 295 300 cct ttg tgg ttg acc tcg gtt atc tgt gag atc tgg ttt gca ttt tct 1021 Pro Leu Trp Leu Thr Ser Val Ile Cys Glu Ile Trp Phe Ala Phe Ser 305 310 315 tgg ctt ctt gat cag ttt ccc aaa tgg tac ccc att aac agg gag act 1069 Trp Leu Leu Asp Gln Phe Pro Lys Trp Tyr Pro Ile Asn Arg Glu Thr 320 325 330 tat ctt gac cgt ctc gct ata aga tat gat cga gac ggt gaa cca tca 1117 Tyr Leu Asp Arg Leu Ala Ile Arg Tyr Asp Arg Asp Gly Glu Pro Ser 335 340 345 cag ctc gtt cct gtt gat gtg ttt gtt agt aca gtg gac cca ttg aaa 1165 Gln Leu Val Pro Val Asp Val Phe Val Ser Thr Val Asp Pro Leu Lys 350 355 360 365 gag cct ccc ctt gtt aca gca aac aca gtt ctc tcg att ctt tct gtg 1213 Glu Pro Pro Leu Val Thr Ala Asn Thr Val Leu Ser Ile Leu Ser Val 370 375 380 gac tac ccg gta gat aaa gta gcc tgt tat gtt tca gat gat ggt tca 1261 Asp Tyr Pro Val Asp Lys Val Ala Cys Tyr Val Ser Asp Asp Gly Ser 385 390 395 gct atg ctt acc ttt gaa tcc ctt tct gaa acc gct gag ttt gca aag 1309 Ala Met Leu Thr Phe Glu Ser Leu Ser Glu Thr Ala Glu Phe Ala Lys 400 405 410 aaa tgg gta cca ttt tgc aag aaa ttc aac att gaa cct agg gcc cct 1357 Lys Trp Val Pro Phe Cys Lys Lys Phe Asn Ile Glu Pro Arg Ala Pro 415 420 425 gaa ttc tat ttt gcc cag aag ata gat tac ttg aag gac aag atc caa 1405 Glu Phe Tyr Phe Ala Gln Lys Ile Asp Tyr Leu Lys Asp Lys Ile Gln 430 435 440 445 ccg tct ttt gtt aaa gag cga cga gct atg aag aga gag tat gaa gag 1453 Pro Ser Phe Val Lys Glu Arg Arg Ala Met Lys Arg Glu Tyr Glu Glu 450 455 460 ttt aaa gtg agg ata aat gct ctt gtt gcc aaa gca cag aaa atc cct 1501 Phe Lys Val Arg Ile Asn Ala Leu Val Ala Lys Ala Gln Lys Ile Pro 465 470 475 gaa gaa ggc tgg aca atg cag gat ggt act ccc tgg cct ggt aac aac 1549 Glu Glu Gly Trp Thr Met Gln Asp Gly Thr Pro Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn 480 485 490 act aga gat cat cct gga atg ata cag gtg ttc tta ggc cat agt ggg 1597 Thr Arg Asp His Pro Gly Met Ile Gln Val Phe Leu Gly His Ser Gly 495 500 505 ggt ctg gat acc gat gga aat gag ctg cct aga ctc atc tat gtt tct 1645 Gly Leu Asp Thr Asp Gly Asn Glu Leu Pro Arg Leu Ile Tyr Val Ser 510 515 520 525 cgt gaa aag cgg cct gga ttt caa cac cac aaa aag gct gga gct atg 1693 Arg Glu Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe Gln His His Lys Lys Ala Gly Ala Met 530 535 540 aat gca ttg atc cgt gta tct gtt gtt ctt acc aat gga gca tat ctt 1741 Asn Ala Leu Ile Arg Val Ser Val Val Leu Thr Asn Gly Ala Tyr Leu 545 550 555 ttg aac gtg gat tgt gat cat tac ttt aat aac agt aag gct att aaa 1789 Leu Asn Val Asp Cys Asp His Tyr Phe Asn Asn Ser Lys Ala Ile Lys 560 565 570 gaa gct atg tgt ttc atg atg gac ccg gct att gga aag aag tgc tgc 1837 Glu Ala Met Cys Phe Met Met Asp Pro Ala Ile Gly Lys Lys Cys Cys 575 580 585 tat gtc cag ttc cct caa cgt ttt gac ggt att gat ttg cac gat cga 1885 Tyr Val Gln Phe Pro Gln Arg Phe Asp Gly Ile Asp Leu His Asp Arg 590 595 600 605 tat gcc aac agg aat ata gtc ttt ttc gat att aac atg aag ggg ttg 1933 Tyr Ala Asn Arg Asn Ile Val Phe Phe Asp Ile Asn Met Lys Gly Leu 610 615 620 gat ggt atc cag ggt cca gta tat gtg ggt act ggt tgt tgt ttt aat 1981 Asp Gly Ile Gln Gly Pro Val Tyr Val Gly Thr Gly Cys Cys Phe Asn 625 630 635 agg cag gct cta tat ggg tat gat cct gtt ttg acg gaa gaa gat tta 2029 Arg Gln Ala Leu Tyr Gly Tyr Asp Pro Val Leu Thr Glu Glu Asp Leu 640 645 650 gaa cca aat att att gtc aag agc tgt tgc ggg tca agg aag aaa ggt 2077 Glu Pro Asn Ile Ile Val Lys Ser Cys Cys Gly Ser Arg Lys Lys Gly 655 660 665 aaa agt agc aag aag tat aac tac gaa aag agg aga ggc atc aac aga 2125 Lys Ser Ser Lys Lys Tyr Asn Tyr Glu Lys Arg Arg Gly Ile Asn Arg 670 675 680 685 agt gac tcc aat gct cca ctt ttc aat atg gag gac atc gat gag ggt 2173 Ser Asp Ser Asn Ala Pro Leu Phe Asn Met Glu Asp Ile Asp Glu Gly 690 695 700 ttt gaa ggt tat gat gat gag agg tct att cta atg tcc cag agg agt 2221 Phe Glu Gly Tyr Asp Asp Glu Arg Ser Ile Leu Met Ser Gln Arg Ser 705 710 715 gta gag aag cgt ttt ggt cag tcg ccg gta ttt att gcg gca acc ttc 2269 Val Glu Lys Arg Phe Gly Gln Ser Pro Val Phe Ile Ala Ala Thr Phe 720 725 730 atg gaa caa ggc ggc att cca cca aca acc aat ccc gct act ctt ctg 2317 Met Glu Gln Gly Gly Ile Pro Pro Thr Thr Asn Pro Ala Thr Leu Leu 735 740 745 aag gag gct att cat gtt ata agc tgt ggt tac gaa gac aag act gaa 2365 Lys Glu Ala Ile His Val Ile Ser Cys Gly Tyr Glu Asp Lys Thr Glu 750 755 760 765 tgg ggc aaa gag att ggt tgg atc tat ggt tcc gtg acg gaa gat att 2413 Trp Gly Lys Glu Ile Gly Trp Ile Tyr Gly Ser Val Thr Glu Asp Ile 770 775 780 ctt act ggg ttc aag atg cat gcc cgg ggt tgg ata tcg atc tac tgc 2461 Leu Thr Gly Phe Lys Met His Ala Arg Gly Trp Ile Ser Ile Tyr Cys 785 790 795 aat cct cca cgc cct gcg ttc aag gga tct gca cca atc aat ctt tct 2509 Asn Pro Pro Arg Pro Ala Phe Lys Gly Ser Ala Pro Ile Asn Leu Ser 800 805 810 gat cgt ttg aac caa gtt ctt cga tgg gct ttg gga tct atc gag att 2557 Asp Arg Leu Asn Gln Val Leu Arg Trp Ala Leu Gly Ser Ile Glu Ile 815 820 825 ctt ctt agc aga cat tgt cct atc tgg tat ggt tac cat gga agg ttg 2605 Leu Leu Ser Arg His Cys Pro Ile Trp Tyr Gly Tyr His Gly Arg Leu 830 835 840 845 aga ctt ttg gag agg atc gct tat atc aac acc atc gtc tat cct att 2653 Arg Leu Leu Glu Arg Ile Ala Tyr Ile Asn Thr Ile Val Tyr Pro Ile 850 855 860 aca tcc atc cct ctt att gcg tat tgt att ctt ccc gct ttt tgt ctc 2701 Thr Ser Ile Pro Leu Ile Ala Tyr Cys Ile Leu Pro Ala Phe Cys Leu 865 870 875 atc acc gac aga ttc atc ata ccc gag ata agc aac tac gcg agt att 2749 Ile Thr Asp Arg Phe Ile Ile Pro Glu Ile Ser Asn Tyr Ala Ser Ile 880 885 890 tgg ttc att cta ctc ttc atc tca att gct gtg act gga atc ctg gag 2797 Trp Phe Ile Leu Leu Phe Ile Ser Ile Ala Val Thr Gly Ile Leu Glu 895 900 905 ctg aga tgg agc ggt gtg agc att gag gat tgg tgg agg aac gag cag 2845 Leu Arg Trp Ser Gly Val Ser Ile Glu Asp Trp Trp Arg Asn Glu Gln 910 915 920 925 ttc tgg gtc att ggt ggc aca tcc gcc cat ctt ttt gct gtc ttc caa 2893 Phe Trp Val Ile Gly Gly Thr Ser Ala His Leu Phe Ala Val Phe Gln 930 935 940 ggt cta ctt aag gtt ctt gct ggt atc gac acc aac ttc acc gtt aca 2941 Gly Leu Leu Lys Val Leu Ala Gly Ile Asp Thr Asn Phe Thr Val Thr 945 950 955 tct aaa gcc aca gac gaa gat ggg gat ttt gca gaa ctc tac atc ttc 2989 Ser Lys Ala Thr Asp Glu Asp Gly Asp Phe Ala Glu Leu Tyr Ile Phe 960 965 970 aaa tgg aca gct ctt ctc att cca cca acc acc gtc cta ctt gtg aac 3037 Lys Trp Thr Ala Leu Leu Ile Pro Pro Thr Thr Val Leu Leu Val Asn 975 980 985 ctc ata ggc att gtg gct ggt gtc tct tat gct gta aac agt ggc tac 3085 Leu Ile Gly Ile Val Ala Gly Val Ser Tyr Ala Val Asn Ser Gly Tyr 990 995 1000 1005 cag tcg tgg ggt ccg ctt ttc ggg aag ctc ttc ttc gcc tta tgg gtt 3133 Gln Ser Trp Gly Pro Leu Phe Gly Lys Leu Phe Phe Ala Leu Trp Val 1010 1015 1020 att gcc cat ctc tac cct ttc ttg aaa ggt ctg ttg gga aga caa aac 3181 Ile Ala His Leu Tyr Pro Phe Leu Lys Gly Leu Leu Gly Arg Gln Asn 1025 1030 1035 cga aca cca acc atc gtc att gtc tgg tct gtt ctt ctc gcc tcc atc 3229 Arg Thr Pro Thr Ile Val Ile Val Trp Ser Val Leu Leu Ala Ser Ile 1040 1045 1050 ttc tcg ttg ctt tgg gtc agg atc aat ccc ttt gtg gac gcc aat ccc 3277 Phe Ser Leu Leu Trp Val Arg Ile Asn Pro Phe Val Asp Ala Asn Pro 1055 1060 1065 aat gcc aac aac ttc aat ggc aaa gga ggt gtc ttt tagaccctat 3323 Asn Ala Asn Asn Phe Asn Gly Lys Gly Gly Val Phe 1070 1075 1080 ttatatactt gtgtgtgcat atatcaaaaa cgcgcaatgg gaattccaaa tcatctaaac 3383 ccatcaaacc ccagtgaacc gggcagttaa ggtgattcca tgtccaagat tagctttctc 3443 cgagtagcca gagaaggtga aattgttcgt aacactattg taatgatttt ccagtgggga 3503 agaagatgtg gacccaaatg atacatagtc tacaaaaaga atttgttatt ctttcttata 3563 tttattttat ttaaagcttg ttagactcac acttatgtaa tgttggaact tgttgtccta 3623 aaaagggatt ggagttttct ttttatctaa gaatctgaag tttatatgct 3673 12 1081 PRT Arabidopsis thaliana 12 Met Glu Ala Ser Ala Gly Leu Val Ala Gly Ser Tyr Arg Arg Asn Glu 1 5 10 15 Leu Val Arg Ile Arg His Glu Ser Asp Gly Gly Thr Lys Pro Leu Lys 20 25 30 Asn Met Asn Gly Gln Ile Cys Gln Ile Cys Gly Asp Asp Val Gly Leu 35 40 45 Ala Glu Thr Gly Asp Val Phe Val Ala Cys Asn Glu Cys Ala Phe Pro 50 55 60 Val Cys Arg Pro Cys Tyr Glu Tyr Glu Arg Lys Asp Gly Thr Gln Cys 65 70 75 80 Cys Pro Gln Cys Lys Thr Arg Phe Arg Arg His Arg Gly Ser Pro Arg 85 90 95 Val Glu Gly Asp Glu Asp Glu Asp Asp Val Asp Asp Ile Glu Asn Glu 100 105 110 Phe Asn Tyr Ala Gln Gly Ala Asn Lys Ala Arg His Gln Arg His Gly 115 120 125 Glu Glu Phe Ser Ser Ser Ser Arg His Glu Ser Gln Pro Ile Pro Leu 130 135 140 Leu Thr His Gly His Thr Val Ser Gly Glu Ile Arg Thr Pro Asp Thr 145 150 155 160 Gln Ser Val Arg Thr Thr Ser Gly Pro Leu Gly Pro Ser Asp Arg Asn 165 170 175 Ala Ile Ser Ser Pro Tyr Ile Asp Pro Arg Gln Pro Val Pro Val Arg 180 185 190 Ile Val Asp Pro Ser Lys Asp Leu Asn Ser Tyr Gly Leu Gly Asn Val 195 200 205 Asp Trp Lys Glu Arg Val Glu Gly Trp Lys Leu Lys Gln Glu Lys Asn 210 215 220 Met Leu Gln Met Thr Gly Lys Tyr His Glu Gly Lys Gly Gly Glu Ile 225 230 235 240 Glu Gly Thr Gly Ser Asn Gly Glu Glu Leu Gln Met Ala Asp Asp Thr 245 250 255 Arg Leu Pro Met Ser Arg Val Val Pro Ile Pro Ser Ser Arg Leu Thr 260 265 270 Pro Tyr Arg Val Val Ile Ile Leu Arg Leu Ile Ile Leu Cys Phe Phe 275 280 285 Leu Gln Tyr Arg Thr Thr His Pro Val Lys Asn Ala Tyr Pro Leu Trp 290 295 300 Leu Thr Ser Val Ile Cys Glu Ile Trp Phe Ala Phe Ser Trp Leu Leu 305 310 315 320 Asp Gln Phe Pro Lys Trp Tyr Pro Ile Asn Arg Glu Thr Tyr Leu Asp 325 330 335 Arg Leu Ala Ile Arg Tyr Asp Arg Asp Gly Glu Pro Ser Gln Leu Val 340 345 350 Pro Val Asp Val Phe Val Ser Thr Val Asp Pro Leu Lys Glu Pro Pro 355 360 365 Leu Val Thr Ala Asn Thr Val Leu Ser Ile Leu Ser Val Asp Tyr Pro 370 375 380 Val Asp Lys Val Ala Cys Tyr Val Ser Asp Asp Gly Ser Ala Met Leu 385 390 395 400 Thr Phe Glu Ser Leu Ser Glu Thr Ala Glu Phe Ala Lys Lys Trp Val 405 410 415 Pro Phe Cys Lys Lys Phe Asn Ile Glu Pro Arg Ala Pro Glu Phe Tyr 420 425 430 Phe Ala Gln Lys Ile Asp Tyr Leu Lys Asp Lys Ile Gln Pro Ser Phe 435 440 445 Val Lys Glu Arg Arg Ala Met Lys Arg Glu Tyr Glu Glu Phe Lys Val 450 455 460 Arg Ile Asn Ala Leu Val Ala Lys Ala Gln Lys Ile Pro Glu Glu Gly 465 470 475 480 Trp Thr Met Gln Asp Gly Thr Pro Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn Thr Arg Asp 485 490 495 His Pro Gly Met Ile Gln Val Phe Leu Gly His Ser Gly Gly Leu Asp 500 505 510 Thr Asp Gly Asn Glu Leu Pro Arg Leu Ile Tyr Val Ser Arg Glu Lys 515 520 525 Arg Pro Gly Phe Gln His His Lys Lys Ala Gly Ala Met Asn Ala Leu 530 535 540 Ile Arg Val Ser Val Val Leu Thr Asn Gly Ala Tyr Leu Leu Asn Val 545 550 555 560 Asp Cys Asp His Tyr Phe Asn Asn Ser Lys Ala Ile Lys Glu Ala Met 565 570 575 Cys Phe Met Met Asp Pro Ala Ile Gly Lys Lys Cys Cys Tyr Val Gln 580 585 590 Phe Pro Gln Arg Phe Asp Gly Ile Asp Leu His Asp Arg Tyr Ala Asn 595 600 605 Arg Asn Ile Val Phe Phe Asp Ile Asn Met Lys Gly Leu Asp Gly Ile 610 615 620 Gln Gly Pro Val Tyr Val Gly Thr Gly Cys Cys Phe Asn Arg Gln Ala 625 630 635 640 Leu Tyr Gly Tyr Asp Pro Val Leu Thr Glu Glu Asp Leu Glu Pro Asn 645 650 655 Ile Ile Val Lys Ser Cys Cys Gly Ser Arg Lys Lys Gly Lys Ser Ser 660 665 670 Lys Lys Tyr Asn Tyr Glu Lys Arg Arg Gly Ile Asn Arg Ser Asp Ser 675 680 685 Asn Ala Pro Leu Phe Asn Met Glu Asp Ile Asp Glu Gly Phe Glu Gly 690 695 700 Tyr Asp Asp Glu Arg Ser Ile Leu Met Ser Gln Arg Ser Val Glu Lys 705 710 715 720 Arg Phe Gly Gln Ser Pro Val Phe Ile Ala Ala Thr Phe Met Glu Gln 725 730 735 Gly Gly Ile Pro Pro Thr Thr Asn Pro Ala Thr Leu Leu Lys Glu Ala 740 745 750 Ile His Val Ile Ser Cys Gly Tyr Glu Asp Lys Thr Glu Trp Gly Lys 755 760 765 Glu Ile Gly Trp Ile Tyr Gly Ser Val Thr Glu Asp Ile Leu Thr Gly 770 775 780 Phe Lys Met His Ala Arg Gly Trp Ile Ser Ile Tyr Cys Asn Pro Pro 785 790 795 800 Arg Pro Ala Phe Lys Gly Ser Ala Pro Ile Asn Leu Ser Asp Arg Leu 805 810 815 Asn Gln Val Leu Arg Trp Ala Leu Gly Ser Ile Glu Ile Leu Leu Ser 820 825 830 Arg His Cys Pro Ile Trp Tyr Gly Tyr His Gly Arg Leu Arg Leu Leu 835 840 845 Glu Arg Ile Ala Tyr Ile Asn Thr Ile Val Tyr Pro Ile Thr Ser Ile 850 855 860 Pro Leu Ile Ala Tyr Cys Ile Leu Pro Ala Phe Cys Leu Ile Thr Asp 865 870 875 880 Arg Phe Ile Ile Pro Glu Ile Ser Asn Tyr Ala Ser Ile Trp Phe Ile 885 890 895 Leu Leu Phe Ile Ser Ile Ala Val Thr Gly Ile Leu Glu Leu Arg Trp 900 905 910 Ser Gly Val Ser Ile Glu Asp Trp Trp Arg Asn Glu Gln Phe Trp Val 915 920 925 Ile Gly Gly Thr Ser Ala His Leu Phe Ala Val Phe Gln Gly Leu Leu 930 935 940 Lys Val Leu Ala Gly Ile Asp Thr Asn Phe Thr Val Thr Ser Lys Ala 945 950 955 960 Thr Asp Glu Asp Gly Asp Phe Ala Glu Leu Tyr Ile Phe Lys Trp Thr 965 970 975 Ala Leu Leu Ile Pro Pro Thr Thr Val Leu Leu Val Asn Leu Ile Gly 980 985 990 Ile Val Ala Gly Val Ser Tyr Ala Val Asn Ser Gly Tyr Gln Ser Trp 995 1000 1005 Gly Pro Leu Phe Gly Lys Leu Phe Phe Ala Leu Trp Val Ile Ala His 1010 1015 1020 Leu Tyr Pro Phe Leu Lys Gly Leu Leu Gly Arg Gln Asn Arg Thr Pro 1025 1030 1035 1040 Thr Ile Val Ile Val Trp Ser Val Leu Leu Ala Ser Ile Phe Ser Leu 1045 1050 1055 Leu Trp Val Arg Ile Asn Pro Phe Val Asp Ala Asn Pro Asn Ala Asn 1060 1065 1070 Asn Phe Asn Gly Lys Gly Gly Val Phe 1075 1080 13 1741 DNA Oryza sativa CDS (101)..(1741) 13 gtgcggccgc cgcgcatcta ggcttgccgc gcgcgcgcgg atctgcgagc tgcgtagccg 60 tttctcgctg tgagtggagg aggaggagga agggaggagg atg gcg gcg aac gcg 115 Met Ala Ala Asn Ala 1 5 ggg atg gtg gcg gga tcc cgc aac cgg aac gag ttc gtc atg atc cgc 163 Gly Met Val Ala Gly Ser Arg Asn Arg Asn Glu Phe Val Met Ile Arg 10 15 20 ccc gac ggc gac gcg cca ccg ccg gct aag cca ggg aag agt gtg aat 211 Pro Asp Gly Asp Ala Pro Pro Pro Ala Lys Pro Gly Lys Ser Val Asn 25 30 35 ggt cag gtc tgc cag att tgt ggc gac act gtt ggc gtc tcg gcc acc 259 Gly Gln Val Cys Gln Ile Cys Gly Asp Thr Val Gly Val Ser Ala Thr 40 45 50 ggc gac gtc ttt gtt gcc tgc aat gag tgc gcc ttc ccg gtc tgc cgc 307 Gly Asp Val Phe Val Ala Cys Asn Glu Cys Ala Phe Pro Val Cys Arg 55 60 65 cct tgc tac gag tac gaa cgc aag gaa ggg aac cag tgc tgc ccc cag 355 Pro Cys Tyr Glu Tyr Glu Arg Lys Glu Gly Asn Gln Cys Cys Pro Gln 70 75 80 85 tgc aag act aga tac aag agg cac aaa ggt tgc cct aga gtt cag ggc 403 Cys Lys Thr Arg Tyr Lys Arg His Lys Gly Cys Pro Arg Val Gln Gly 90 95 100 gat gag gaa gaa gaa gat gtt gat gac ctg gac aat gaa ttc cat tat 451 Asp Glu Glu Glu Glu Asp Val Asp Asp Leu Asp Asn Glu Phe His Tyr 105 110 115 aag cat ggc aat ggc aaa ggt cca gag tgg cag ata cag aga cag ggg 499 Lys His Gly Asn Gly Lys Gly Pro Glu Trp Gln Ile Gln Arg Gln Gly 120 125 130 gaa gat gtt gac ctg tct tca tct tct cgc cac gaa caa cat cgg att 547 Glu Asp Val Asp Leu Ser Ser Ser Ser Arg His Glu Gln His Arg Ile 135 140 145 ccc cgt ctg aca agt ggg caa cag atc tca gga gag atc cct gat gct 595 Pro Arg Leu Thr Ser Gly Gln Gln Ile Ser Gly Glu Ile Pro Asp Ala 150 155 160 165 tcc ccc gat cgc cat tct atc cgc agc gga aca tca agc tat gtt gat 643 Ser Pro Asp Arg His Ser Ile Arg Ser Gly Thr Ser Ser Tyr Val Asp 170 175 180 cca agt gtt cca gtt cct gtg agg att gtg gac ccc tcc aag gac ttg 691 Pro Ser Val Pro Val Pro Val Arg Ile Val Asp Pro Ser Lys Asp Leu 185 190 195 aat tcc tat ggg att aac agt gtt gac tgg caa gaa aga gtt gcc agc 739 Asn Ser Tyr Gly Ile Asn Ser Val Asp Trp Gln Glu Arg Val Ala Ser 200 205 210 tgg agg aac aag cag gac aaa aat atg atg cag gta gct aat aaa tat 787 Trp Arg Asn Lys Gln Asp Lys Asn Met Met Gln Val Ala Asn Lys Tyr 215 220 225 cca gag gca aga ggg gga gac atg gaa ggg act ggt tca aat ggt gaa 835 Pro Glu Ala Arg Gly Gly Asp Met Glu Gly Thr Gly Ser Asn Gly Glu 230 235 240 245 gat atc caa atg gtt gat gat gca cgt cta cct ctg agc cgc ata gtg 883 Asp Ile Gln Met Val Asp Asp Ala Arg Leu Pro Leu Ser Arg Ile Val 250 255 260 cct atc cct tca aac cag ctc aac ctt tac cgg att gtt atc att ctc 931 Pro Ile Pro Ser Asn Gln Leu Asn Leu Tyr Arg Ile Val Ile Ile Leu 265 270 275 cgt ctt atc atc ctg atg ttc ttc ttc caa tat cgt gtc act cat cca 979 Arg Leu Ile Ile Leu Met Phe Phe Phe Gln Tyr Arg Val Thr His Pro 280 285 290 gtg cgg gat gct tat gga ttg tgg cta gta tct gtt atc tgt gaa att 1027 Val Arg Asp Ala Tyr Gly Leu Trp Leu Val Ser Val Ile Cys Glu Ile 295 300 305 tgg ttg ccc tta tcc tgg ctc cta gat caa ttc cca aag tgg tac ccg 1075 Trp Leu Pro Leu Ser Trp Leu Leu Asp Gln Phe Pro Lys Trp Tyr Pro 310 315 320 325 ata aac cgt gaa aca tac ctt gac agg ctt gca ttg aga tat gat agg 1123 Ile Asn Arg Glu Thr Tyr Leu Asp Arg Leu Ala Leu Arg Tyr Asp Arg 330 335 340 gag gga gag cca tca cag ctt gct ccc att gat gtc ttt gtc agt acg 1171 Glu Gly Glu Pro Ser Gln Leu Ala Pro Ile Asp Val Phe Val Ser Thr 345 350 355 gtg gat cca cta aag gaa cct cct ctg atc aca gca aac act gtt ttg 1219 Val Asp Pro Leu Lys Glu Pro Pro Leu Ile Thr Ala Asn Thr Val Leu 360 365 370 tcc att ctg gct gtg gat tac cct gtt gac aaa gtg tca tgc tat gtt 1267 Ser Ile Leu Ala Val Asp Tyr Pro Val Asp Lys Val Ser Cys Tyr Val 375 380 385 tct gac gat ggt tca gct atg tta act ttt gag gct ctg tca gaa act 1315 Ser Asp Asp Gly Ser Ala Met Leu Thr Phe Glu Ala Leu Ser Glu Thr 390 395 400 405 gca gaa ttt gct agg aag tgg gtt ccg ttt tgc aag aag cac aat att 1363 Ala Glu Phe Ala Arg Lys Trp Val Pro Phe Cys Lys Lys His Asn Ile 410 415 420 gaa cca cga gct cca gag ttt tac ttt gct caa aaa ata gat tac ctg 1411 Glu Pro Arg Ala Pro Glu Phe Tyr Phe Ala Gln Lys Ile Asp Tyr Leu 425 430 435 aag gac aaa atc caa cct tcc ttt gtt aaa gaa agg cgg gca atg aag 1459 Lys Asp Lys Ile Gln Pro Ser Phe Val Lys Glu Arg Arg Ala Met Lys 440 445 450 aga gag tat gaa gaa ttc aag gta cgg atc aat gct ctt gtt gcg aag 1507 Arg Glu Tyr Glu Glu Phe Lys Val Arg Ile Asn Ala Leu Val Ala Lys 455 460 465 gca caa aaa gta cct gaa gag ggg tgg acc atg gct gat ggc act gct 1555 Ala Gln Lys Val Pro Glu Glu Gly Trp Thr Met Ala Asp Gly Thr Ala 470 475 480 485 tgg cct ggg aat aac cca agg gat cac cct ggc atg att cag gtg ttc 1603 Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn Pro Arg Asp His Pro Gly Met Ile Gln Val Phe 490 495 500 ttg ggg cac agt ggt ggg ctt gac act gat ggt aac gag ttg cca cgg 1651 Leu Gly His Ser Gly Gly Leu Asp Thr Asp Gly Asn Glu Leu Pro Arg 505 510 515 ctt gtc tac gtc tct cgt gaa aag agg cca gga ttc cag cat cac aag 1699 Leu Val Tyr Val Ser Arg Glu Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe Gln His His Lys 520 525 530 aag gct ggt gca atg aat gca ttg att cgt gta tct gct gtg 1741 Lys Ala Gly Ala Met Asn Ala Leu Ile Arg Val Ser Ala Val 535 540 545 14 547 PRT Oryza sativa 14 Met Ala Ala Asn Ala Gly Met Val Ala Gly Ser Arg Asn Arg Asn Glu 1 5 10 15 Phe Val Met Ile Arg Pro Asp Gly Asp Ala Pro Pro Pro Ala Lys Pro 20 25 30 Gly Lys Ser Val Asn Gly Gln Val Cys Gln Ile Cys Gly Asp Thr Val 35 40 45 Gly Val Ser Ala Thr Gly Asp Val Phe Val Ala Cys Asn Glu Cys Ala 50 55 60 Phe Pro Val Cys Arg Pro Cys Tyr Glu Tyr Glu Arg Lys Glu Gly Asn 65 70 75 80 Gln Cys Cys Pro Gln Cys Lys Thr Arg Tyr Lys Arg His Lys Gly Cys 85 90 95 Pro Arg Val Gln Gly Asp Glu Glu Glu Glu Asp Val Asp Asp Leu Asp 100 105 110 Asn Glu Phe His Tyr Lys His Gly Asn Gly Lys Gly Pro Glu Trp Gln 115 120 125 Ile Gln Arg Gln Gly Glu Asp Val Asp Leu Ser Ser Ser Ser Arg His 130 135 140 Glu Gln His Arg Ile Pro Arg Leu Thr Ser Gly Gln Gln Ile Ser Gly 145 150 155 160 Glu Ile Pro Asp Ala Ser Pro Asp Arg His Ser Ile Arg Ser Gly Thr 165 170 175 Ser Ser Tyr Val Asp Pro Ser Val Pro Val Pro Val Arg Ile Val Asp 180 185 190 Pro Ser Lys Asp Leu Asn Ser Tyr Gly Ile Asn Ser Val Asp Trp Gln 195 200 205 Glu Arg Val Ala Ser Trp Arg Asn Lys Gln Asp Lys Asn Met Met Gln 210 215 220 Val Ala Asn Lys Tyr Pro Glu Ala Arg Gly Gly Asp Met Glu Gly Thr 225 230 235 240 Gly Ser Asn Gly Glu Asp Ile Gln Met Val Asp Asp Ala Arg Leu Pro 245 250 255 Leu Ser Arg Ile Val Pro Ile Pro Ser Asn Gln Leu Asn Leu Tyr Arg 260 265 270 Ile Val Ile Ile Leu Arg Leu Ile Ile Leu Met Phe Phe Phe Gln Tyr 275 280 285 Arg Val Thr His Pro Val Arg Asp Ala Tyr Gly Leu Trp Leu Val Ser 290 295 300 Val Ile Cys Glu Ile Trp Leu Pro Leu Ser Trp Leu Leu Asp Gln Phe 305 310 315 320 Pro Lys Trp Tyr Pro Ile Asn Arg Glu Thr Tyr Leu Asp Arg Leu Ala 325 330 335 Leu Arg Tyr Asp Arg Glu Gly Glu Pro Ser Gln Leu Ala Pro Ile Asp 340 345 350 Val Phe Val Ser Thr Val Asp Pro Leu Lys Glu Pro Pro Leu Ile Thr 355 360 365 Ala Asn Thr Val Leu Ser Ile Leu Ala Val Asp Tyr Pro Val Asp Lys 370 375 380 Val Ser Cys Tyr Val Ser Asp Asp Gly Ser Ala Met Leu Thr Phe Glu 385 390 395 400 Ala Leu Ser Glu Thr Ala Glu Phe Ala Arg Lys Trp Val Pro Phe Cys 405 410 415 Lys Lys His Asn Ile Glu Pro Arg Ala Pro Glu Phe Tyr Phe Ala Gln 420 425 430 Lys Ile Asp Tyr Leu Lys Asp Lys Ile Gln Pro Ser Phe Val Lys Glu 435 440 445 Arg Arg Ala Met Lys Arg Glu Tyr Glu Glu Phe Lys Val Arg Ile Asn 450 455 460 Ala Leu Val Ala Lys Ala Gln Lys Val Pro Glu Glu Gly Trp Thr Met 465 470 475 480 Ala Asp Gly Thr Ala Trp Pro Gly Asn Asn Pro Arg Asp His Pro Gly 485 490 495 Met Ile Gln Val Phe Leu Gly His Ser Gly Gly Leu Asp Thr Asp Gly 500 505 510 Asn Glu Leu Pro Arg Leu Val Tyr Val Ser Arg Glu Lys Arg Pro Gly 515 520 525 Phe Gln His His Lys Lys Ala Gly Ala Met Asn Ala Leu Ile Arg Val 530 535 540 Ser Ala Val 545 15 19 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence oligonucleotide primer 15 agaacagcag atacacgga 19 16 19 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 16 ctgaagaagg ctggacaat 19 17 23 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 17 caatgcattc atagctccag cct 23 18 24 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 18 aaaaggctgg agctatgaat gcat 24 19 24 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 19 tcaccgacag attcatcata cccg 24 20 23 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 20 gacatggaat caccttaact gcc 23 21 24 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 21 ccattcagtc ttgtcttcgt aacc 24 22 25 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 22 ggttacgaag acaagactga aatgg 25 23 25 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 23 gaacctcata ggcattgtgg gctgg 25 24 24 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 24 gcaggctcta tatgggtatg atcc 24 25 19 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 25 agaacagcag atacacgga 19 26 24 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 26 atccgtgtat ctgctgttct tacc 24 27 22 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 27 aatgctcttg ttgccaaagc ac 22 28 20 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 28 attgtccagc cttcttcagg 20 29 21 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 29 ctgaagaagg ctggacaatg c 21 30 22 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 30 aggtaagcat agctgaacca tc 22 31 24 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 31 agtagattgc agatggtttt ctac 24 32 23 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 32 ttcaatgggt ccactgtact aac 23 33 19 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 33 attcagatgc accattgtc 19 34 25 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 34 araagatnga ytayytnaar gayaa 25 35 26 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 35 atngtnggng tnckrttytg nckncc 26 36 23 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide primer 36 gcnatgaarm gngantayga rga 23 37 5 PRT Arabidopsis thaliana VARIANT (1)..(5) Xaa at positions 2 and 3 is any amino acid. 37 Gln Xaa Xaa Arg Trp 1 5 

What is claimed is:
 1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule which encodes a cellulose synthase (CesA) polypeptide of plants or a catalytic subunit thereof having cellulose synthase activity, comprising the protein-encoding region of a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO1, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:11, and SEQ ID NO:13.
 2. A genetic construct which comprises the isolated nucleic acid molecule according to claim 1 operably linked to a promoter sequence that is operable in a plant.
 3. The genetic construct according to claim 2, wherein the nucleic acid molecule is operably connected to the promoter sequence in the sense orientation such that a cellulose synthase (CesA) polypeptide or a catalytic subunit thereof or RNA encoding said cellulose synthase or catalytic subunit is produced when said nucleic acid molecule is expressed in a plant cell containing said genetic construct.
 4. The genetic construct according to claim 2, wherein the promoter is the CaMV 35S promoter of the Arabidopsis thaliana RSW1 gene promoter.
 5. A method of increasing the level of cellulose in a plant cell, plant tissue, plant organ or whole plant, said method comprising expressing the isolated nucleic acid molecule according to claim 1 in said plant cell, plant tissue, plant organ or whole plant, in the sense orientation, for a time and under conditions sufficient to produce or increase expression of the cellulose synthase (CesA) polypeptide encoded by said nucleic acid and to increase the level of cellulose in said plant cell, plant tissue, plant organ or whole plant.
 6. A method of reducing the level of non-crystalline beta-1,4-glucan in a plant cell, plant tissue, plant organ or whole plant, said method comprising expressing the isolated nucleic acid molecule according to claim 1 in said plant cell, plant tissue, plant organ or whole plant, in the sense orientation, for a time and under conditions sufficient to produce or increase expression of the cellulose synthase (CesA) polypeptide encoded by said nucleic acid and to reduce the level of non-crystalline beta-1,4-glucan in said plant cell, plant tissue, plant organ or whole plant.
 7. A method of reducing the level of starch in a plant cell, plant tissue, plant organ or whole plant, said method comprising expressing the isolated nucleic acid molecule according to claim 1 in said plant cell, plant tissue, plant organ or whole plant, in the sense orientation, for a time and under conditions sufficient to produce or increase expression of the cellulose synthase (CesA) polypeptide encoded by said nucleic acid and to reduce the level of starch in said plant cell, plant tissue, plant organ or whole plant.
 8. A method of producing a recombinant enzymatically active cellulose synthase (CesA) polypeptide in a plant cell, said method comprising expressing the isolated nucleic acid molecule according to claim 1 in said plant cell for a time and under conditions sufficient for the cellulose synthase (CesA) polypeptide encoded by said nucleic acid to be produced.
 9. A transgenic plant transformed with an isolated nucleic acid molecule according to claim
 1. 10. A transgenic plant transformed with a genetic construct according to claim
 2. 